Psalms 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
What did David mean when he wrote this Psalm?
In Biblical times shepherds had to be vigilant. They had to have endurance. They had to have a keen sense of observation not only of their flock but also of their surroundings. A shepherd would put their own life at risk to save their flock. They had to endure hot days and cold nights to watch over their flock. They had to know how many animals they had at all times and if one came up missing they would leave the herd to find the lost sheep to make sure it was safe and protected. Shepherds had to protect their flocks from wild animals and robbers who wanted the sheep for their own.
When David said "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" he knew that God was the greatest shepherd. God is vigilant over us, his sheep. God never tires and is always watching over us. God sees all, he sees each one of us, our surroundings, our hearts, and our love for him. God is with us in our good times and bad times, he never leaves our side. God knows the number of hairs on our heads, he knows things about us that we don't even know. God knows when one of his flock strays. He doesn't cast out the stray members of his flock but finds us to protect us and keep us safe. God protects us from evil and when the evil one tries to take a member of God's flock he is there to watch over us and protect us.
God is a great shepherd and as a member of his flock it is up to us to love him like he loves us. We should trust in God as our savior, our protector, and as our great shepherd.
~Saved Outdoors Family