The most important day in our lives is when we give our life back to our Creator. Until then, we can never truly discover who we are. The Bible tells us in Romans 9:20-21 that the clay doesn’t tell the potter what to do; rather, the potter shapes the clay for its intended purpose. God’s purpose for us, as described in Genesis 1:26, is to be made in His image and likeness. Jesus Christ is the perfect template for this, as the “Pattern Son,” the “express image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3). We must not lower the bar and think we can’t be like Jesus, because that was the Father’s intention all along.
This is the foundation for understanding one of the most beloved passages in the Bible, Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” To fully grasp this, we must look at the two titles David gives to God: Shepherd and Lord.
The Shepherd and the Lord
The word for “shepherd” comes from the Hebrew word ra’ah, which means to keep, feed, and tend a flock. As a shepherd, God is our loving keeper and caregiver. He provides for us, knowing where the “green pastures” are for our provision (Psalm 23:2). He is the good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11).
The word “Lord,” however, is the Hebrew name Yahweh, the self-existing, eternal One. He is the God of all power, majesty, and authority. When David says, “The Lord is my shepherd,” he is declaring that the Almighty, all-powerful Creator is his personal, loving caregiver. This powerful combination of unconditional love and supreme authority is why David can confidently declare, “I shall not want.” It has nothing to do with what we have in the natural—our bank account, our car, or our house. It is a declaration that with the Lord as our shepherd, we lack nothing.
A Place of Rest and Restoration
As the good shepherd, God makes us lie down in green pastures (Psalm 23:2). This is a place of rest where we stop operating in our own strength, fear, and frustration. It is a place of peace, where we trust that He knows where to lead us. The shepherd doesn’t ask the sheep where they want to go; He knows where the green pastures and still waters are. Our job is to be submitted sheep, willing to be led. If you are not willing to be led, He cannot be your shepherd.
The psalm continues, “He restoreth my soul” (Psalm 23:3). When Adam sinned, his spirit died, and his soul learned to live independently of his spirit. The soul—our mind, will, and emotions—was not meant to lead us; it was meant to be subject to our spirit, which is alive in God. The restoration of the soul is the process of getting our emotions and will back in their proper place, led by the Holy Spirit. This is why we must be born again (Ephesians 2:1-10), which makes our spirit alive in God. But even after being born again, we must continually allow the Lord to restore our soul so that we can fulfill our purpose and not be conformed to the world (Romans 12:2).
This is a process, not an overnight event. We cannot restore our own souls; only the Lord, our shepherd and the bishop of our souls (1 Peter 2:25), has the power to do it.
So, when we face life’s challenges, remember the weight of Psalm 23. It’s not a suggestion; it’s a statement of fact for the submitted sheep. The Lord is your shepherd. You shall not want. You will find rest, and you will be led.