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ike the Psalm before it, Psalm 23 also stands wonderfully
without comment or explanation. However,
since I have known it by heart for as long as I can remember, I think I should
like to take one small piece of it and ruminate on it for a moment.
When I was a very small child I used to stand out in the
front yard and quote Psalm 23 as loudly and as dramatically as I could. I imagined myself a great preacher, like my
dad or one of the many pastors, evangelists and missionaries that I had heard from
the day I was born. However, in my
tirades to my neighborhood (which was comprised mostly of soy beans, a dog and
the only neighbor within shouting distance), I don't ever recall getting past
the second phrase in Psalm 23:1, "I
shall not want." Now, in good
Baptist form I ran every unrelated rabbit trail that I could think of from
verse 1 and never got to the rest of the Psalm.
But then again, that's not all bad.
Think of the power in that one little phrase... I shall not want (or
lack).
Since the Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need.
Hebrews 13:5 says, "Be content with
such things as ye have: for He has said, 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake
thee."' Again, Roman 8:32 adds, "He
that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not
with Him also freely give us all things?"
Oh the comfort, the strength, the assurance, the safety, the hope
and the cheer we find in the words of this great old Psalm. When I read it or
quote it, I can truly say, "My cup
runneth over!" The waters are
calm; the grass is green; I have nothing to fear; the table is full; heaven is
my home; the Lord is my shepherd... I have everything I need.
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