“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want,” from the 23rd Psalm, are some of the most well-known words from the Bible.
To grasp the full meaning of these words is to see no empty holes in one’s life, no evidence of lack, to have no sensation of want.
The Lord is my Shepherd…
Divine Love is my Shepherd. The one God of Love watches out for me, guards me, protects me, strengthens me, provides for me, gives me health, wisdom, understanding, patience, forgiveness, and love. My Shepherd sees ahead, plans, and prepares ahead to ensure I have everything I need whenever I need it.
I shall not want…
I shall not want for anything! I shall not want for understanding, insight, guidance, direction, health, strength, joy, vision, hearing, hope, confidence, love, help or healing.
There are no empty holes in God’s provision for me. There are no missing pieces, no lacking elements, no problems too tough to solve. The Shepherd’s ministering presence dissolves all fear, takes away strain and stress, accomplishes what I cannot accomplish, masters all evil, and maintains order, harmony, peace, and good health for me.
Under the Shepherd’s care, there is no want. There is gratitude, comfort, peace, and an unwavering assurance that all is well.
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, because with my Shepherd I have everything I need.
In Love’s care, I do not want…for anything.
Wow, what a BEAUTIFUL benediction to start the new year with!
We don’t live in “time” so really this wonderful assurance you wrote is for eternity.
Wow, just Wow.
Wow was exactly the first word that came to me too Carrie!! A wonderful message from Evan fior the new year and yet another keeper I think.
Agreed Carrie Kay, this is truly a WOW message. It lacks nothing in it’s completeness, just as we lack no good thing under our Shepherd’s care, as explained here. Thank you dearly Evan for this comfort and inspiration, so needed by all of us. It reminds me to stay humble before God.
“Divine Love always has met, and always will meet, every human need……To all mankind and in every hour, divine Love supplies all good.” S&H p. 494
What a wonderful interpretation – such an expansive sense of completeness to start the New Year
Thank you Evan
Happy , fulfilled and fulfilling New Year everyone
What a wonderful start to NOW!
Thankyou!
❤ Grateful ❤️ Thank you ❤️
Wonderful comprehensive interpretation of this Psalm – thank you so much Evan. I have
worked with this Psalm many times, but this just about includes and takes care of every
possible human need which you have listed. I have shared with my husband who
really appreciated it – he is not a student of C.S. but benefits from it. I will share it
with others also.
just what I needed this morning to uplift my thoight away from suggestions of lack of a supportive famiy
just knowing my family are worldwidek
like all the other messages I shall say Wow too. We lack nothing. Thank you Evan.
Your interpretation/explanation of this beautiful Psalm is an absolute keeper ! So very revealing … a perfect treatment for every day. Thank you so much Evan ❣️
Beside still waters, United in prayer with all .
Beautiful reminder of protection and guidance in the healing of a scary home situation.
God is right with us and cares for Her sheep in every situation no matter how scary.
Thank you Evan for your insights!
just so wonderful Evan. Can’t say anything further, you have said it all.t have i been repeating the 23rd Psalm. Knowingly that my Father-Mother is supplying all our needs. Thanks so much for affirming this real fact.
Another WOW – an extra special WOW and immense gratitude dear Evan!! You don’t know how much this helps me or how timely it is! My beloved aunt passed away on Friday. She was more like a mother to me. Her one request of me was that at her funeral I read the 23rd Psalm, her favorite. She said none of her children would do that. I’ve been thinking about that beautiful Psalm a lot while she was in the hospital. Your expanded application of it is so powerful and so helpful. I’ve been dealing with a hearing problem and concerned I will not be able to converse with guests and family at the funeral. I’m going to stick, stick stick to the truths in this Psalm, especially: I shall not lack hearing, death being a “shadow” and my beloved aunt “dwelling in the consciousness of Love forever”!. Thank you from the bottom and top of my heart (that’s my whole heart)!!!
Dear Sharon, thank you for opening your heart to us. I will be thinking of you as dwelling “in the consciousness of Love” today and at the funeral with beloved guests and family.
That is SO KIND of you dear Carolyne. I REALLY appreciate your loving supportiveness!! Have a blessed new year!!!
Obviously inspired. Thanks so much, Evan. I will print and save this one. It came in at a great time.
What a beautiful foundation for starting the new year with. Thank you, Evan(!), and Happy New Year, all!
Like others who have responded, this came at the perfect time. My husband and daughter, who work together, are starting new jobs with a new company today, and both are a little apprehensive and nervous. I read this SpiritView to each of them, my husband as he got ready, and again for my daughter as she was driving. Although they aren’t studying Christian Scientists, I know they really appreciated it and were not a little comforted!
And I have read it over and over myself, and yes, it is such “a keeper!” I am applying it to their office, their whole new company, all businesses and endeavors, and all in the world individually and collectively who are starting out a grand new year today, and every day! With divine Love as their Shepherd, they shall not want!
Thank you, thank you Even, for all your powerful prayers and treatments!
Beautiful, Evan thank you. I will read this often during the day
What beautiful illimitable truth for all. May every holy Idea recognize their Shepherd, within and without.
Thank you, Evan, and have a richly blessed day.
“Holy Idea” includes Buffalo, New York’s football player, who has been cared for, by prayer, but is in the hospital. Thank you Karen for pointing out “every holy idea recognized by their Shepherd” which this talented football player IS.
Another”wow” what a delightful way to start the new year. Thank you Evan for these uplifting thoughts
“Shepherd, show me how to go …. I will listen for Thy voice,
Lest my footsteps stray… I will follow and rejoice All the rugged way”.
Hymn 308
Beautiful! Wonderful way to start the new year with Divine
guidance.
For years, I have enjoyed reading the book: “A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm” by W. Phillip Keller. He explains what it’s like to be a shepherd, both with the style of shepherding in the United States (driving/chasing/scaring/rounding up sheep with dogs or off road vehicles) and that in the Bible lands (calmly leading the sheep), and the perspective he has as minister in a protestant church, and a student/follower/sheep of Christ and God. Each chapter explores one line or verse and explains it from different perspectives. For those who cannot read, I suggest, looking at YouTube videos of him, taking one chapter at a time. I get far more out of it if I am much more slow and contemplative and praying about each concept and then applying it to my day and dedicating that day or week or a month to really studying and demonstrating and exploring that concept.
I shall not want. I will not complain or criticize. I shall not lack. I shall not fear inadequacy on the part of anyone. I shall not fear or resent injustice and I shall not lack moral sensitivity and courageous compassion to work for justice. I shall not covet. I shall not overindulge self-destruction and relationship destruction or character assassination/gossip with binges or purges/rejection/starvation/overwork . I shall not be addicted to chocolate or coffee or TV or social media or shopping or exercise or sleeping or socializing or reading or whatever . I shall not resent. I shall not indulge self pity or scapegoating or shame/blame, or inferiority/superiority. I commit to only desire and pursue God’s will, not mine. I will not worry because I trust God is providing everything each of us needs, and each of us is needed and belongs, and cannot lack a plan or purpose or place or position or power divinely authorized.
What a beautifully inspiring, all encompassing SpiritView. Thank you ever so much, Evan.
This is great. A good start off for the year. This i is great assurance that man has everything at his disposal. Thank you Evan.
I love the 23rd Psalms, especially the King James version. I don’t know why, but all the new translations just seen lacking in expression and fullness in the spiritual significance of the prayer. Words matter but what matters most is the spiritual content to which it refers. When that is devoid of its intent, what then is being expressed. Just because it is new and common, doesn’t mean it is better. If it fills you with meaning, for that I am grateful. But for me, it is empty and provides a stark nakedness from which it should eluminate a praise of gratitude and devotion.
I say this not to spur on a argument but rather a support for the beautiful and the holy in expression to which we reverence the spirit.
Thank you Evan. From Jack Hubbell’s lecture “Divine Truth Frees You from Limitation”: “It is inconsistent with God’s love that man should be in want. The Bible states: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1). To want something is to deny its presence. I asked myself: “Am I denying the presence of good”? God is ever-present. God is good; therefore good is ever-present. So, there can be no absence of good. Consequently, it wasn’t a question of overcoming real lack, but proving lack isn’t real. I felt at peace, confident that God’s love was adequate to meet the human need.”
https://cslectures.org/lectures.htm
(this excellent lecture was originally posted by Jean on 12/19/22 Spirit View – thank you Jean!)
A beautiful elucidation of this beloved Psalm Evan! Thank you for your inspiring and poetic outpouring of love.
Divine Love oversees our safety, molds our characters after His likeness, increases and develops our talents, feeds our affections, preserves our health, empowers our loving actions, and advances our steps forward.
Linda, you nailed it today, explaining exactly why the Psalm is so inspiring and poetic. . . . it’s based in understanding that we reflect “Divine Love oversees our safety, molds our characters after His likeness, increases and develops our talents, feeds our affections, preserves our health, empowers our loving actions, and advances our steps forward.” Your comments are the inspiration which today as every DAY is REAL, PRESENT, and HEALING. Thanks.
Wow! Thank you Evan.
“With my Shepherd I have all I need. In Love’s care I do not want … for anything!” How wonderfully asuring of God’s Love and Provision for us all!
I have no words for my deep gratitude to you, Evan for this absolute excellence of your today’s Interpretation of the beginning of the 23rd psalms!
It is not just the interpretation, rather I feel very connected with and included in this perfect care of our Father-Mother God which indeed leaves no empty hole in our lives, and no evidence of lack and no wants – we have everything we need!!!
This applies to every of our needs. I need my car, and today my mechanics said that they have to repair an important device in the car for my safty. And that will cost an unexpected high sum. So I know that in God’s realm we are living in, there is no lack for that and any neccessary payment.
I understand, Payment is giving Gratitude and love for good and healing work. Yess, a car repair is also a healing work, and I am grateful that the mistake on my car was found and could be corrected.
I am grateful for this great great Gift of Christian Science, and right, God is our wonderful and loving and caring Shepherd.
Utmost thanks again for today’s rich spiritual views on God’s shepherding!♡
Love that sweet black/white foto with the sheep flock up here.♡
This year will be better than any other year, as it is God’s year!!!
Lots of Love to all!♡
WOW, Evan and the same to everyone who shared their thoughts here. Such a wonderful Psalm and I feel so uplifted by everyone’s individual ideas! Thanks so VERY much! Now we have all of 2023 to put these wonderful thoughts into practice!
Thank you God, Thank you Christ, Thank you Divine Love, Thank you Evan Amen and Amen
thank you everybody you are all on the right track and Evan thank you for presenting things that pertain to all of us everyday to trust God more to see what he sees and to know even in our government that seems so misguided and divided we know that God is in control and is the only government we have in heaven and on earth God is omnipotent supreme so comforting thank you all cheer for the good years cheer for the years coming up happy happy we are to know the new year will be better than any before it much love to all
All I can say is WOW. Yes,definitely a keeper. Thank you all for your inspiring input today. Much appreciated and always spot on.
Wonderful
Though it is a day later, Just had to add this, from Hymn 148, which came to mind as I was re-reading Evan’s post and the comments.
“Wherever He may guide me,
No want shall turn me back
My Shepherd is beside me,
And nothing can I lack.”
So wonderful and inspiring, Evan! Thank you–and all the inspiration shared by your readers around the world, too! A great way to start the new year….
With love and appreciation,
Karen
Perfect, Evan! Thank you!
I have been rereading everything and know that God is always guiding and governing when I let me thought be receptive to good that is abundant everyday! Thank you Evan and everyone for posting these wonderful statements on Truth!
Thanks Evan sir for sharing wonderful Truths a great source of inspiration.