THOU SHALL NOT WANT

David was considered a man after “God’s own heart”. David wrote hundreds of psalms in honor of the Lord, his most famous being the 23rd Psalm. But people don’t really understand the psalm as a whole. Oh sure, we can recite it by memory, but what does it all really mean?

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
-If God is the center of our life, he gives us all we want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
-He gives us peace, by giving us all we need.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
-He comforts us.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
-God is always with us to correct and guide our walk.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
-God gives us all the things we want as an example to the world of who we are in him, and he protects from all things.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
-If we walk according to God’s word, we will always have good things in our life.

A Shepherd is someone who protects and guides the flock. He guides the sheep to where there is grass to eat. He protects them from all attackers and comforts then when they need comforting. When a sheep does not want to obey, he uses his staff to guide them in the right direction and when he needs to he will force them to lie in the field with the rest of the flock. Jesus is our ultimate shepherd, so wouldn’t we expect all this from him and more, if he has all power to do all things?

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
(II Corinthians 9:8)
-God will give us all we want IF we are going to use it for his works.

O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
(Psalm 34:9)
-If we fear and respect the Lord, he will give us all our wants.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
(Psalm 84:11)
-If we are walking the right way, there is nothing God will keep us from having.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
(Matthew 7:7-11)
-Whatever we desire from God he will give it to us, because he is our ultimate Father who has all power to give us all things IF we simply ask.

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
(Matthew 17:20)
-We can have all things IF we have the faith to believe for them.

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
(Matthew 21:22)
-When we pray for something, we must believe for it before we will receive it.

Jesus said unto him, IF thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
(Mark 9:23)
-All things are possible IF we believe for them.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
(Mark 11:22-24)
-Whatever we pray for, we will have IF when we pray we pray with faith.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
(John14:12-14)
-IF we believe in Jesus we can do all things and have all things.

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
(John 15:7)
-God will give us all we ask of him IF we continue to walk in his word.And in that day ye shall ask me nothing.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
(John 16:23-24)
-IF we are faithful, God promises great joy in knowing whatever we ask we will have.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
(Ephesians 3:20)
-God is able to do all things in our life IF we have the faith to allows his power to work in us.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
(James 1:5-8)
-Whatever wisdom we lack God will give it to us IF we ask with a faithful heart.

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
(I John 3:21-22)
-IF we are not walking in God’s word then we cannot be confidant, because we know that God will not give us what we ask.

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
(I John 5:14-15)
-IF we are faithful to God, we are confident knowing whatever we ask he hears us and gives us what we ask of him.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
(Hebrews 11:6)
-IF we lack faith then we have not pleased God and he is not required to bless us.