Because David knew that the Lord was his Shepherd, he could say, “I shall not want.”  But what did David mean by that?  I will first emphasize the obvious meaning of his words, and then briefly consider a secondary meaning.

The obvious meaning is that David was confident that the Lord would provide for him.  We can share this same confidence because the Lord is our Shepherd too.  If we remain true to God, all of our needs will be taken care of by Him.  Paul assured the brethren at Philippi of this (Philippians 4:19).  Nothing has changed for the people of God today.  Jesus, our Good Shepherd, promised to provide our needs, as long as we seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).  One of the great benefits of being a child of God is knowing that He will providentially care for us.  It is not I might not want, but I shall not want.

We should remember that physical needs are not all that God provides.  We have other needs as well.  We have a need for love, and when it comes to that, we shall not want.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:35-39).  We have a need to be accepted, at least by someone.  The world will never accept us.  In fact, John says that we should not be surprised that the world hates us (1 John 3:13).  However, we know that even if the whole world rejects us, Jesus will never cast us out (John 6:37).  Of course, the most important needs that we have are spiritual, and once again, we shall never be in want.  Our Shepherd provides us with all that we need spiritually (Ephesians 1:3;  2 Peter 1:3).  Yes, the Lord is our Shepherd, and He is a Shepherd Who does His job well.  He provides everything we need so that we can confidently say we shall not want.

Now, while David’s primary point is that he would never lack what he needed because Yahweh was his Shepherd, his statement implies more than that.  “I shall not want,” is not only an affirmation of God’s willingness to provide, but also David’s determination to be content.  Sadly, even though God gives us all that we need, sometimes we still want.  Why?  Because we haven’t learned to be content.  Listen to these fitting words from Jason Lehman:

It was spring. But it was summer I wanted – The warm days, & the great outdoors.
It was summer. But it was fall I wanted – The colorful leaves, & the cool, dry air.
It was fall. But it was winter I wanted – The beautiful snow, & the joy of the holiday season.
It was winter. But it was spring I wanted – The warmth, & the blossoming of nature.
I was a child. But it was adulthood I wanted – The freedom, & the respect.
I was 20. But it was 30 I wanted – To be mature, & sophisticated.
I was middle-aged. But it was 20 I wanted – The youth, & the free spirit.
I was retired. But it was middle-age I wanted – The presence of mind, without limitations.
Then my life was over, and I never got what I wanted.

Some people are never satisfied.   Let us be like the little girl who slightly misquoted Psalm 23 in Bible class.  She said, “The Lord is my shepherd; I’ve got all I want.”   Even though she misquoted it, I think she captured the essence of it.  If you have God in your life, you can truly say, “I’ve got all I want.”  Paul wrote, “…for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Philippians 4:11).  With such a great Shepherd providing for us in every way, how can we not be content?

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.