The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing

 Psalm 23 is perhaps the most beloved scripture about our Good Shepherd. Ask people which scripture they love the most and which has meant most to them and many would point to the Twenty-third Psalm. It has dried many tears and lifted many out of the pits of despair and discouragement. This small Psalm deals with almost every adverse circumstance in life and how to win over it.

Pastor Warren W. Wiersbe writes: "The present tense verb “is” means, “the Lord is shepherding me,” indicating an ongoing relationship. Eastern shepherds guarded their sheep, led them, provided food and water for them; took care of them when they were wearied, bruised, cut or sick; rescued them when they strayed; knew their names; assisted in delivering the lambs; and in every way simply loved them."

JEHOVAH-RA’AH—the Lord is my shepherd—(Psalm 23:1)

NASB: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

LEB: Yahweh is my shepherd; I will not lack for anything.

TLB: Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need!

MSG: God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing.

NOG: Yahweh is my Roeh. I am never in need.

NET: The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 

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10 names of God found in Psalm 23. Here they are. Hope they bless and encourage you as much as they do me!

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1. Jehovah-Raah (the Lord my shepherd). “The LORD is my shepherd” (v. 1). This is one of the most powerful and personal names of God. It is one of my very favorites because it is so tender and so loving. Shepherds in Israel loved their sheep. They gave each one a name. Each day, the shepherd would go ahead of his flock to make sure the path was clear, that there was no danger ahead. He would count each one at night as they came into the pen to make sure no one was missing. When they were all gathered in, he would sleep in front of the opening. The message was clear: “If you want to get to the sheep, you’ll have to come through me!” That’s who Christ is for each one of us. He knows your name and watches over you day and night. 

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2. Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord my provider). “I have all that I need” (v. 1). The first time this name is used for God is in Genesis 22. It’s one of the hardest stories to read as a parent. Abraham and Sarah had longed for a child for so many years. It seemed impossible, but then God intervened. Sarah was ninety years old when she gave birth to their promised son, Isaac. Then God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Can you imagine how painful that must have been? We don’t know how old Isaac was at the time, but trusted biblical scholars agree that he wasn’t a little boy, that he was anywhere between twenty and thirty years old. He had to be strong enough to carry the sufficient amount of wood up a mountain to fully consume a human body. Abraham, by faith, trusted God. He was being tested to see if he truly trusted God’s promise that, through this young man, Abraham’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars. As Abraham was about to plunge the knife into his son, God stopped him. Then Abraham saw a ram whose horns were caught in the thicket, and the ram became the sacrifice. We read in Genesis 22:14, “Abraham named the place [Jehovah-Jireh] (which means ‘the LORD will provide’).” This was a foreshadowing of the truth that just as the ram took Isaac’s place, Christ would be the provided Lamb as the perfect sacrifice for us. 

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3. Jehovah-Shalom (the Lord my peace). “He lets me rest in green meadows” (v. 2). The first time this name appears in the Bible is in Judges 6. The angel of the Lord appeared to a young man named Gideon and told him that he would be the one to deliver his people from their enemies. Gideon was terrified and asked for a sign that the messenger was really from God. He asked the angel (not realizing that this was actually an Old Testament appearance of Christ) to wait until he could come back with a meal. When Christ touched the meal with the tip of His staff, fire consumed it all, and He disappeared. When Gideon realized that he’d been talking to the angel of the Lord, he was sure he was going to die. The Lord told him that he was not going to die. So Gideon built an altar and named it Jehovah-Shalom—the Lord is peace. Christ’s presence was peace to Gideon that day, and He offers that same peace to you today. 

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4. Jehovah-Rophe (the Lord my healer). “He renews my strength” (v. 3). That name, Rophe, or Rapha, means “The Lord is my healer, physically and spiritually.” The thing that is so fascinating about this name is that unlike Jehovah-Jireh or Jehovah-Shalom, where God’s people gave Him a name, it was God Himself who revealed this name to the children of Israel. He told them that He is Jehovah-Rophe after they’d crossed the Red Sea. For I am the LORD who heals you. (Exod. 15:26) On the cross, that healing was perfected. But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. (Isa. 53:5) 

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5. Jehovah-Tsidkenu (the Lord is our righteousness). “He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name” (v. 3). The prophet Jeremiah, looking ahead to the day that Jesus, our Messiah, would come to save His people, wrote, In those days and at that time I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. In that day Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this will be its name: “The LORD Is Our Righteousness.” (33:15–16) No matter what you’ve done, no matter how often you have failed or fallen down, when Christ is your Savior, He alone is your righteousness. He makes you right with God. 

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6. Jehovah-Ezer (the Lord is my help). “Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me” (v. 4). We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help [Ezer] and our shield. (Ps. 33:20) I love the way Charles Spurgeon fleshes that out. Men can come to our help, but they travel slowly, creeping along the earth. Lo, our God comes riding on the heavens. They who travel on the earth may be stopped by enemies, they certainly will be hindered; but he that rides upon the heavens cannot be stayed nor even delayed. When Jehovah’s excellency comes flying upon the sky on the wings of the wind, how gloriously are displayed the swiftness, the certainty, and the all-sufficiency of delivering grace. God has ways to help us that we dream not of.

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7. Jehovah-Nissi (the Lord my standard of victory). “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies” (v. 5). The full meaning of this name can be hard to grasp. Clearly we’re not at an all-you-can-eat buffet, surrounded by enemies. So what does it mean? In Exodus 17:15 we read, “Moses built an altar there and named it [Jehovah-Nissi] (which means ‘the LORD is my banner’).” Moses, Joshua, and the children of Israel were in a fierce battle with a hostile desert tribe. They were constantly crossing land where they were not welcome, and they had to fight for their survival. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle. (Exod. 17:10–13) Remembering how God has delivered us in the past is a wonderful spiritual discipline. You might want to find a little stone and write a word or a date on it to remind you that God delivered you once and He can do it again. 

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8. Jehovah-M’Kaddesh (the Lord who sanctifies me). “You honor me by anointing my head with oil” (v. 5). In the Old Testament, the children of Israel had 613 laws that they had to keep to be holy in God’s sight. There were 365 don’ts and 248 dos. So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the LORD your God. Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the LORD who makes you holy. (Lev. 20:7–8) Can you imagine the burden of waking up every day with 613 laws to keep? But for us, it is Christ who makes us holy. Now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. (Col. 1:22) We’re not saved by trusting in our own goodness or holiness. We are saved by trusting in His. 

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9. Jehovah-Manah (the Lord is my portion). “My cup overflows with blessings” (v. 5). Over and over, the writers of the Psalms say, “The Lord is my portion.” In Psalm 73:25–26 we read, Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (NIV) I want to live like that. I want to live with total devotion to Christ, soaking my life in the truth of His Word. Whatever you feel as if you’re lacking today, the Lord is your portion. 

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10. Jehovah-Cheleq (the Lord my inheritance). “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever” (v. 6). We find this name of God in Deuteronomy 18:2. When the land God gave to His people was divided among the tribes of Israel, the only tribe that received no land was the Levites. They were the ones who led in worship, and this is what God said about them: They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them. (NIV) I love that. What a gift to those who led in worship. Now that gift is for everyone who trusts in Christ. The Lord Himself is our inheritance. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Eph. 1:18–19 NIV)

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When I am praying, I picture Jesus Christ, my Shepherd, in the green pasture of the 23rd Psalm. As I pray, I take whatever concern I have, or the person for whom I am interceding by the hand. I walk out to the meadow, the green pasture, and I place my concern, or the hand of the person for whom I am interceding, in Jesus’ hand…knowing that He is sovereign, He loves me, and He loves the person for whom I am interceding more than I do. He has a plan, a hope, and a future for each of us…and I walk away, thanking God for how He is working in my life and in the lives of those for whom I am interceding. I experience a feeling of peace…as Catherine Marshall prayed, Lord, I trust You…You know what You’re doing…I relinquish my will to Yours.

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O Heavenly Father, we ask you to wrap Your Loving Arms around us today. You are close to the brokenhearted and You save those who are crushed in spirit. You are our Shepherd, we lack nothing. You make us lie down in green pastures, You lead us beside the still waters. You restore our souls. You lead us in the path of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for You are with us. You are Emmanuel, God with us, we are absolutely certain, You are with us at this time. Your rod and Your staff, Your Holy Spirit and Your Word, they comfort us. You prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies. You anoint our heads with oil, our cup overflows with blessings. Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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Look Up—meditate on Psalm 23

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Look In—as you meditate on Psalm 23 pray to see how you might apply it to your life.

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Look Out—as you meditate on Psalm 23 pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others.