“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23).
What God says in his Word is true.
It isn’t true subjectively—it’s true objectively. Whether our experiences in life appear to support it doesn’t change what God’s Word says—and that’s an important distinction for Christians to keep in mind. So much in life tempts us to think the exact opposite and say to ourselves, “How can this possibly be true?”
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing” (Psalm 23:1).
It’s all too easy for me to lose sight of that comforting truth of Scripture when I turn my attention away from the promises God makes in his Word. I get caught up in the many stresses, fears, worries, and concerns of my life. I struggle to hold it all together, but it slips through my fingers the harder I try.
Make no mistake, those things I struggle with are very real problems—no question about it. The things you struggle with are too. And yet these words remain true:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul” (Psalm 23:1-2).
How hard those words are to pray at times!
Where are the green pastures and quiet waters, Lord? Where are the right paths you’re supposed to be guiding me on when my life is filled with uncertainties? I’m frightened, Lord, and I feel so very alone.
But amid all the anxiety and chaos and fear in the darkest valley that is so often life on this sinful earth, there is the Good Shepherd’s voice. His gentle voice cuts through all of the noise, all of the distractions and temptations, and all of the whispered accusations of guilt and shame:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
He’s calling me; he’s calling you. And he gives us rest and peace that only he can give. But he doesn’t wait for us to take the first, faltering step toward him—no. He knows that’s something we could never do.
Instead, the Good Shepherd seeks us out and draws us to himself. The Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts and strengthens it through his Word and sacraments—green pastures and quiet waters that refresh our souls and remind us that Jesus has given us everything we need freely out of his love for us. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Forgiveness of sins. A home, a dwelling place in God’s house forever.
As if those underserved gifts were not enough, right here and right now God blesses us in a myriad of ways—so much so that we can sometimes lose sight of the fact that they’re blessings!
Truly, our cups overflow.
But even if those amazing earthly blessings were to fade away one by one (and many of them do the longer we travel through this darkest of valleys), by faith, and faith alone, you and I can still say, “I lack nothing.”
You and I can still say, “I fear nothing, for you, God, are with me. I am not alone. You are with me. In your Word, you say, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Joshua 1:5). Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in your house forever. That’s what you’ve promised me. That’s what you say in your Word, and I’m going to hold you to it, God. Because you are who you say you are. My hope and confidence are in you.”
Live in those words, dear Christian. Live in the words of this beloved, well-known psalm because they are objectively true for you and me—all because of Jesus. He gave up everything to give us everything—all so we could say, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
With Jesus, we have everything we need.
Looking for additional words of comfort? An Ever-Present Help in Trouble is a devotional booklet filled with 40 devotions of gospel comfort that remind you of God’s love for you and how he is always by your side.
Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.