Psalm 23:1 - I Shall Not Want - Pastor Kyle Kearbey

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He

makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads

me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.

He guides me in the paths of righteousness for

his namesake. Even though I walk through the

valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil,

for you are with me. Your rod and your staff,

they comfort me. You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed

my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely, goodness

and loving kindness will follow me all the days

of my life, and I will dwell in the house of

the Lord forever. Let's go to the Lord in prayer.

Father, we come to you this Lord's Day. Father,

as we approach your word, we recognize, Lord,

that if you do not bless it, that if your spirit

does not work in our hearts and our minds and

accompany the word of God, that it will be of

no benefit to us. Lord, we ask today that you

would bless the ministry of your word. to the

sanctification, the edification, the comfort,

the encouragement and the strengthening of the

believer present. But Lord, we also ask that

you would bless your word in such a way to convert

men and to bring them to Christ, to open their

eyes, to regenerate their hearts. Father, we

ask for your spirit and his presence to be among

us, Lord. Be with each of us at this time. Help

us to understand these grand and these glorious

truths that are meant for our good, that are

meant for our comfort. Lord, that are meant to

help us to understand who you are. We ask these

things in Christ's name. Amen. You may be seated.

If we think about the unbelieving world and culture

around us that exists apart from the church of

Jesus Christ and apart from Christians, surely

one of the things that we would come to think

about the world and the culture is that They

don't want a shepherd, but they surely want to

be shepherded. And what I mean by that is this.

The world doesn't want a shepherd who tells them

what to do, where to go, what to be, and what

they will possess. Who they ought to be. But

the world and the culture does want the benefits.

of being shepherded. Meaning, they want possessions.

They want provision. They want the benefits and

they want the blessings of being shepherded.

They want somebody to comfort them. They want

somebody to care for them. They want somebody

to guide them and watch them in their lives.

All the while, they cast off, they reject, and

they deny the God who could be their shepherd.

And they seek after those benefits and those

blessings and their own strength and carnality

and their own power and their own striving and

their own effort so that they end up never being

content. never being satisfied, never enjoying

and being satisfied with the things they lay

hold of. The world rejects the great shepherd

of the sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ. The church,

on the other hand, and believers, are those who

revel, are those who glory in the reality. that

we are not our own. We glory in the fact that

we have a shepherd who provides for us, who guides

us and directs us, who cares for us, who leads

us and watches over our lives. The church and

believers are those who revel in the reality

That they have a God who superintends, who watches

over, protects, and guides their lives and their

souls for their good, but also for his glory.

Today, we see that David derives great comfort

and confidence. From this reality. And he does

in fact. Just glory in the fact. That God is

his shepherd. We read. In verse 1 of Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He

makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads

me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.

He guides me in the paths of righteousness for

His namesake. Today we're going to focus on the

words, I shall not want. We're going to consider

the fact that this is a conclusion that David

has drawn. from the fact that God is his shepherd,

but we're also going to consider the meaning

of this conclusion, I shall not want. Now before

we jump into the text, I want to clarify once

again, the promises in Psalm 23 are for those

who know the Lord Jesus Christ by faith and repentance.

These are Christian promises. If you're here

today, and you're going to sit under the preaching

of the Word, and you don't know the Lord Jesus

Christ by faith and repentance, and you have

not been born again, you cannot claim the promises

of Psalm 23 for yourself. You cannot come to

Psalm 23 and say, the Lord is my shepherd. You

have no right to do that. It is of no benefit

or use for you to do that. Only those who know

the Lord Jesus Christ, by faith and repentance,

and those who are in Christ, a part of the new

covenant, can claim, the glorious realities of

Psalm 23, and they can lay hold of the promises

that are given to us. So first, the conclusion

that David draws from the reality that the Lord

is his shepherd. Now, the words, I shall not

want, consider the text. Just verse 1. It's almost

like this phrase is just, Stuck in there. There's

no conjunction. There's no transition. The Lord

is my shepherd. I shall not want. What is it

related to? What's it based off of? What is the

nature of this statement, I shall not want? It's

an inference. It's a conclusion. It's a deduction

on David's part based on the reality that the

Lord is in fact his shepherd. David concludes

with regards to his life that he will not lack

because Yahweh is his God. Because Yahweh is...

his shepherd. Because this is true of God, David

comes to the conclusion that this must be true

of me. Because I have, by grace, found myself

to be in his flock, to be a sheep under his care,

I will not lack. I shall not want. So it's based

off of, more specifically, his knowledge that

the Lord is his shepherd. Capital L, capital

O, capital R, capital D. And everything that

we considered last week. The reality that the

name, the Lord, conveys the fact that it is the

sovereign, self -existent, all -sufficient God.

who is covenantal and redemptive in his treatment

of his people. David knows this fact. He understands

this with his mind. But it's also based on the

fact that David knew the history of his nation.

He knew the history of Israel. And he knew his

ancestors. He knew Jacob. He was called Israel.

Turn with me to Genesis chapter 48 very briefly.

Genesis 48 · chapter mention

David's actually not the first person to say

the Lord is my shepherd. Jacob or Israel, the

patriarch, says essentially the same thing. We

read, when Jacob or Israel is blessing, he's

declaring blessing. We read these words in verse

15 of Genesis 48. He blessed Joseph. And he said,

the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac

walked. The God who has been my shepherd all

my life to this day. The angel who has redeemed

me from all evil. Bless the labs. And may my

name live on in them. And the names of my fathers

Abraham and Isaac. And may they grow into a multitude

in the midst of the earth. Now the setting of

this is that Jacob is at the end of his life.

He's old. He's about to die. And he's claiming

that God has shepherded him all the way into

his old age. Now, what would make Jacob or Israel

be able to say that God is his shepherd? Think

about his situation. Think about his circumstances

over the years. Think about the fact that he

lost. His beloved son, Joseph. And then he's

given his beloved son back. He thought that he

was gone. He thought that he was dead. He thought

that he was no more. And then the Lord in his

grace and then the Lord in his mercy brings him

to Joseph. God is good. God is faithful. The

Lord guided his path as the Lord guided Joseph's

path. But we also see that there was a terrible

famine in the land, wasn't there, brothers and

sisters? And that his whole household almost

died and almost perished. If it was not for the

Lord's great mercy and his great provision and

his great kindness, Jacob's household would not

have survived. He rescued, he delivered his family,

his sons. He preserved them. God was good and

God was faithful. Brothers and sisters, David

knew the life of Jacob. David understood how

the Lord worked in Jacob's life. He knew how

God was faithful to him and how he has preserved

his people throughout the ages. He knew how God

had provided faithfully in those situations out

of his goodness and out of his faithful character.

David knew and understood these things. But it

wasn't just that he understood and knew Israel

or Jacob. The man, he knew the history of the

nation of Israel. Did he not? Turn with me to

Exodus chapter 16. David, as the king of Israel,

Exodus 16 · chapter mention

surely loved to study the great works and the

great deeds of God throughout the history of

his covenant people. I am sure that David was

a church history buff par excellence. Patriarchs?

And he knew where he came from because that is

where God's hand had been working throughout

the years, throughout the ages. We read in Exodus

Exodus 16:18

chapter 16, verse 18, and this is just following

the Exodus. Remember the Lord has redeemed the

nation, brought them up out of bondage. act of

God in the old covenant is the redemption of

his people out of Egypt and out of slavery, bringing

them out to worship him. And we read in chapter

16, verse 18, these words. When they measured

it with an omer, he who had gathered much had

no excess, and he who had gathered little had

no lack. Every man gathered as much as he should

eat. Were there times when Israel thought in

unbelief and grumbling and moaning and groaning

that they were going to starve to death? Yes,

in their minds, in their unbelieving hearts,

there certainly was. But, brothers and sisters,

David recognized that the Lord always provided

for the nation of Israel, did he not? What did

He give the nation of Israel? He gave them water

to drink. He gave them manna, bread from heaven,

to eat and make their bellies full. He gave them

water out of the rock. And then, we see even

in the book of Deuteronomy. If you would, turn

there with me. In Deuteronomy chapter 2. That

Deuteronomy 2 · chapter mention

the Lord's provision was not just limited to

food and drink in the nation of Israel. That

the Lord was gracious and generous to them in

many, many ways. We read when Moses is recounting

the history of Israel. Listen to this in chapter

2 of Deuteronomy, verse 8. He says, So we passed

beyond our brothers, the sons of... I apologize.

Verse 7. For the Lord your God has blessed you

in all that you have done. He has known your

wanderings through this great wilderness. These

40 years the Lord your God has been with you.

You have not lacked a thing. They did not want.

did not lack anything because God was with them

and God provided for them. Moses is recognizing

this, brothers and sisters. And then he even

goes on and says the same will be true when you

enter into the new land. We read in chapter 8.

In chapter 8 of Deuteronomy, verse 9. A land

where you will eat food without scarcity. And

which you will not lack anything. A land whose

stones are iron. And out of whose hills you can

dig copper. We read back in verse 3. He humbled

you and let you be hungry. And fed you with manna

which you did not know. Nor did your fathers

know. that he might make you understand that

man does not live by bread alone, but man lives

by everything that proceeds from the mouth of

the Lord. Verse 4, Your clothing did not wear

out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty

years. So think about the Lord's great and mighty

provision. And the life of the nation of Israel.

He provides them with food and drink. Manna and

water. He's with them. He guides them. He directs

them. He promises the same for the promised land.

But his provision is more clearly seen. In the

supernatural sense. In that their clothing. And

their sandals brothers and sisters. Did not.

They did not wear out because the Lord provided

for them. Their ankles didn't swear when they

walked around in circles in the wilderness over

and over and over. The Lord provided for them

in every way as his people, as his covenant people.

David understood. And David knew the Lord's gracious

provision in the life of Israel. But I think

even more than that, David knew firsthand the

Lord's provision in his own life, in his own

situation. Think about all the different and

the various situations that David was in when

he was running from King Saul. When he was fighting

the Philistines. When he was dealing with Absalom

in the overthrow of the kingdom. When he was

on the run. Think about all of those situations

David was always provided for. In Psalms, just

a little bit further, in Psalm 37, when David

is an old man, he says this. In verse 25, I have

been young, and now I am old. Yet I have not

seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants

begging bread. All day long, verse 26, he is

gracious and wins, and his descendants are a

blessing. That was David speaking from personal

experience and observation in the life of the

godly, in the life of God's people, in the life

of those who fear the Lord. We'll see in Psalm

34 that it's even more clear after a few minutes

when we get to that text. David knows the Lord's

character and the Lord's dealings with his people.

Throughout the ages, David knows the Lord's character

and the Lord's dealings with him personally.

Does he not, brothers and sisters? And it's based

on these realities, who God is as a revealed

God, and how God acts as a covenant -keeping,

redemptive God towards his people, that David

is able to conclude in his own life, I shall

not want. He can look at who God is and how God

treats his people as he has been revealed and

conclude in his own life that he won't lack a

thing. That God will in fact provide him with

everything that is good and necessary for his

life and his soul. Immediately, brothers and

sisters, we find... A straightforward lesson

in our life from this text. David's knowledge

of God enables him to make certain conclusions

about his life, his situation, and his circumstances

because he understands who the Lord is. And we

find that he can derive comfort and confidence.

And strength and boldness and peace from the

knowledge that he possesses of who God is and

how God treats his people. This knowledge that

David has is appropriated into his own life by

faith. He knows these things about God and he

believes these things about God. He knows how

God treats his people and he believes these things

about how God treats his people. Treats his people.

And that truth. Enters into his mind. And that

truth enters into his heart. And it affects his

emotions. And his longings and his desires. And

he lives in light of that truth. Brothers and

sisters. The knowledge of God. Is not irrelevant.

For your life. The knowledge of God and who He

is and how He treats His people and how He deals

with His covenant people is not irrelevant, insignificant,

or unimportant, or just for the nerdy theology

guys. The most relevant, the most applicable

knowledge. and reality for your life as a believer

is to know who God is and to know how He faithfully

treats His people. This and this alone is able

to give you joy and contentment and peace and

satisfaction in your own soul and your own life.

Have you been guilty? Of writing off theology.

Of writing off the knowledge of the living God.

That's not for me. Brothers and sisters, hear

me out. In Psalm 23, David is doing theology.

In Psalm 23, David's knowledge of God is affecting

David's comfort in life. David's peace. his security,

his hope, his confidence in life. Why? Because

he's believing the knowledge which he possesses.

Theology and the knowledge of God is ultimately

applicable, brothers and sisters. When it is

rightly understood and rightly believed, it transforms

our hearts, our minds, and our affections. and

it affects and directs our living. Now, knowing

this, we can also see how certain individuals

have defective knowledge of God or defective

theology. And I dare say that each one of us

who truly knows the Lord Jesus Christ has a degree.

Of defective theology. And defective knowledge

of the Lord. Why do I say that? Because we understand

and grasp who God is. We have knowledge about

his character, his being. Who he is and what

he's like. His existence, his eternality, his

infinity. the attributes of God, and we can learn

and study about those things and leave unaffected

by those things. We don't derive comfort, joy,

peace, hope, confidence, strength, and boldness

from those realities. That's defective theology,

brothers and sisters. That's defective knowledge

of God. It's knowledge that stays in the head

and produces no comfort in the heart. It's knowledge

that stays in the mind and produces no boldness

or confidence in one's life. True experiential

Christianity and true understanding Of the Lord.

Always impacts the heart. And the affections.

And the living of the person. I would much prefer.

An individual who knows less about God. Less

of his attributes. Who has less knowledge of

God. Yet that knowledge and that theology is

applied to the heart. That knowledge affects

their emotions and their view of the world. It

changes them. The true measure of godliness,

we could say, is not the amount of knowledge

we have about God and His dealings with men.

The true measure of godliness in the life of

a believer, brothers and sisters, is that knowledge.

Is that doctrine, is that theology affecting

our hearts and changing who we are in the inner

man? Is it affecting us, brothers and sisters?

That's true understanding of the Lord and of

His dealings with men. And ultimately, brothers

and sisters, that's the only way we will persevere.

and we will be preserved through hardship, trial,

and sufferings in our lives. It's by our knowledge

of the Lord and His faithfulness. It's the only

way that we persevere in the Christian faith,

believing these realities, and being affected,

and sustained, and being given joy and hope and

peace. As a result of those truths and those

realities. So we see this conclusion. That David

draws from the reality that God is his shepherd.

The Lord is his shepherd. We find a great deal

of lessons in those. The second thing that we

have to consider this morning. Is the meaning

of this conclusion. That David. draws from that

fact. And David actually illustrates the meaning

of this statement, I shall not want, in verses

2 through 3. In verses 2 through 3, we read these

words. He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores

my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness.

For his namesake. Two through three. Are explaining

the phrase. I shall not want. So the Lord's leading.

The Lord's guiding. The Lord's directing. Is

an illustration. Of the Lord's provision. And

how he cares. For his people. When he says, I

shall not want, that's a negative statement.

It's a denial that certain things will not be

true of him. But what we find in verses 2 -3

is that he beautifully illustrates in a positive

manner what will be true of God's people. What

will be true of the sheep in God's flock. How

God will. provide for his people. It's a positive

statement of the Lord's provision and the Lord's

care for his people. Now, let me make several

observations about this provision in verses 2

through 3. Observe first in verse 2 the Lord's

physical or natural provision of his people.

We see this and it says that He makes me lie

down in green pastures. That's physical. Natural

realities. The Lord, a shepherd, brings his sheep

into green pastures where they can rest, where

they can eat, where they can graze. Then we find,

in the second part of verse 2, beside quiet waters.

Again, another physical reality. A natural reality.

So the Lord's provision has as its scope not

just or simply spiritual realities, but the Lord's

provision for his people includes natural and

physical realities in their lives. Then we see

in verse 3 the Lord's provision with regards

to spiritual realities. He restores my soul.

He switches from physical things to the soul,

the inner man, the inner life, spiritual truths,

spiritual realities. He guides me in paths of

righteousness. Again, spiritual realities. So

immediately, we see that the Lord's provision

is physical and spiritual in the life of His

people. But also take note, And this may seem

or appear obvious in the text, but we need to

be reminded of it. In this text, the Lord is

the provider. He is the one making the provision.

He's leading, guiding, and directing. That means

the provision is as He sees fit. He determines

and he defines what the sheep need, where the

sheep need to go, and what they need in their

lives. Oftentimes when we come to this text,

I think we get the picture of a flock or a herd

of sheep going a flock, walking around, and the

shepherd walking behind the sheep, kind of managing

the sheep. making sure they don't go off a cliff,

staying behind them, making sure they go in the

general direction. But the picture presented

in Psalm 23 is not that at all, is it, brothers

and sisters? Most likely, it's picturing a shepherd

within the flock, but at the head of the flock,

still having sheep around him, but he is leading

them exactly where they need to go. He is directing

them. purposefully and intentionally to the exact

pasture they need. The Lord leads, guides, and

directs. The sheep do not determine or define

which pasture they will bed in that night. The

sheep do not determine what quiet or still water

they will sip from that night. Who is it that

determines the provision? It's the shepherd,

brothers and sisters. That's something for us

to understand and something for us to think.

And we'll come back to that as well. The Lord

is the provider. But that's not a bad thing,

is it, brothers and sisters? It's not a bad thing

to be a sheep in the flock of God. It's a very

good thing to be a sheep in the flock of the

living God. And the reason I say that is because

in this text we find the shepherd leading, guiding,

and directing with the welfare and the good,

with the benefit of... the flock or the sheep

in mind. He's not bringing them to quiet waters

because he's manipulative, because he wants to

play a joke on them. He doesn't lead them in

paths of righteousness for some morbid self -righteous

reason. He's not a narcissistic old man sitting

in the clouds that's playing jokes on little

figurines, brothers and sisters. This text presents

the shepherd as a loving, caring, kind shepherd

who has affectionate love and care for those

he is leading, guiding, and directing. He does

so with the good of his people in mind. But we

also see that there is a more supreme reference

point than simply the good of the sheep. That's

one reference point. But there's a more supreme

reference point with which the shepherd guides

and directs his sheep. And what is that reference

point? For his name's sake. The Lord provides

his people for his people in a manner, in a way,

that is always good for them. but in a way that

is always glorifying and exalting of himself.

That's what we see in this text. A shepherd leading

and guiding for the good of the sheep, but a

shepherd leading and guiding for the glory of

his own name. That means the provision will be

in accordance with the good of the sheep and

the glory of the shepherd. And we see that throughout

this text. So as we consider the overall picture

of this provision, what is the portrait that

is painted? What's the picture of the illustration

that's laid before us? The picture that's given

to us is perfect, comprehensive, divine, loving

provision and care from the Lord. for the good

of the people, and for the glory of God's name.

I want us to focus on the word perfect provision

in that text, or in that summary. The Lord's

provision, because he is the Lord, is always

perfect. It's never okay. It's never the best.

It could be better, but no, the Lord's provision

is always perfect because the Lord is sovereign

and the Lord is faithful. The Lord is holy. He's

omniscient and He is omnipotent. So in the life

of God's people, The provision of the living

God is always perfect provision in their life,

no matter what we think. No matter how we feel

about it, it's always provision which is perfect.

We read in Psalm 34, verses 9 -10, or verses

Psalms 34:9–10

8 -10. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

How blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints. For to those

who fear him, there is no want. The young lions

do lack and suffer hunger. But those who seek

the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.

The Lord perfectly provides every good and necessary

thing in the life of His flock and the life of

His people. Now this is a promise, brothers and

sisters, for every single sheep. This is a divine

promise of God for the believer in Christ. That

He will provide for you in your life. This is

not a promise for the unbeliever. The Lord does

not guide and direct the unbelieving man and

the unbelieving woman. The Lord does not lead

and direct the unbelieving man and the unbelieving

woman by quiet waters. You know what the Psalms

say? You know who the Psalms says the wicked

man will be shepherded by? Sheol. Death will

shepherd the wicked man. All those good things

and all those hard things and all those bad things,

every pasture does not work for the good of the

unbelieving man and the unbelieving woman. Those

are promises for the people of God. Those are

promises for those who have a true, living, justifying,

saving faith in the Good Shepherd who came back

from the dead. So again, if you are here today

and you don't know Christ, and you hear Psalm

23, and you don't know Christ, you live a rebellious,

hellion life. You live in opposition. to the

law of God, and you transgress His law day in

and day out. You never think about the living

God. You have no penance in your heart. And you

have no faith in your heart. These are not promises

for you. You cannot claim that the living God

is your good shepherd, your divine shepherd.

But, the Bible makes clear. that if that person

will trust in Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain before

the foundation of the world, if that person will

forsake their sins, forsake their unrighteousness,

and forsake their transgressions, And they will

believe and cast themselves at the feet of the

Lord Jesus Christ. And they believe in His life

and His death and His resurrection. And say,

you are the good shepherd. I am a sheep. I know

my need. I know my waywardness. You are good.

I am bad. You are faithful. I am unfaithful.

If the unbelieving man comes to that point in

their life, then every single blessed... promise

and reality of Psalm 23 will be yours. Wholeheartedly.

Every single part of it. Every single piece of

it. But if you don't want to be a sheep, if you

don't want to be a part of his flock, and you

would prefer to be a robber or a wolf outside

of the flock of God, chasing after your pleasures

and the delights of life, your vain ambition

in life, your vain purposes, your own reputation,

whatever it might be, then these promises are

not yours. You do not have eternal life and everlasting

life with the Lord. You do not know Him by faith

and repentance. You do not have a new nature

in Christ. You have no promise of the new heavens

and the new earth. Only judgment and condemnation

are ahead of you. But, if you believe in the

Lord Jesus Christ, every glorious truth, every

glorious reality of Psalm 23, the comfort, the

peace, the leading, the guiding, the directing,

the provision, the abundant blessing, the assurance

of heart, Oh, the Lord will give every single

one of those things to you, unbeliever. He will

work each one of those into your life. He will

change you. He will give you His Holy Spirit

and make you a new creature in Christ. And He

will set His love upon you because of His grace

and His mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ. I urge

you and I plead you with you to look to the cross.

Look to the blessed Son of God that took on flesh

and dwelt among us, that died as a lamb slain

before the foundation of the world. Are you in

the flock of God? Are you one of His sheep? Are

these blessings yours? Is Christ yours? Does

He provide? For you. As. Described in this text.

Are you able to say. Regardless of the situation.

I. Shall. Not. Want. Because the Lord. Himself.

Is. Your. Shepherd. Now. If you're here today.

And you are a sheep of God. And you claim. This.

and these promises of Psalm 23, my exhortation

and my encouragement for you believers is this.

You cannot claim the Lord as shepherd and deny

the provision of the shepherd. If you are a believer

and you claim the promise of Psalm 23, then you

have to accept the provision of God that He sees

fit to give you in your life. You can't say,

well, God's not providing for me, but God is

my shepherd. Yes, the Lord is my shepherd. Yes,

He is Yahweh. Yes, He is sovereign. He is a self

-existent, all -sufficient God. He knows all,

and He brings about all. He sustains all. He

is good, and He is faithful. but He can't provide

for me. That's not good enough. I don't appreciate

that provision. That's not right, Lord. That's

not how it ought to be. If we claim the promise

of Psalm 23, we must accept the provision of

the Lord as He promised. sees fit. After all,

it's perfect provision, right? We can't separate

the shepherd from his shepherding in the life

of his people. We can't separate God, the Lord,

from his provision in the life of his covenant

people. Will he fail? Will he err? Will he make

mistakes? Is he going to have the staff and the

rod one day and then let it down and be no good

the next? No, brothers and sisters. The shepherd

is perfect. He is sovereign. He is holy. He is

good. His provision is just as perfect, just

as holy, and just as good as the shepherd himself.

Now, this is important because that means the

Lord himself defines and determines what your

provision is and what my provision is in life.

We tend to have a biased or a skewed view of

what good and necessary really is. for our own

lives. Do you think that you have a skewed view

of what is necessary in your life? Do you think

that there's the possibility that you have an

over -inflated view of yourself and what you

deserve in life? What ought to be true of you

and your life and your situation? Brothers and

sisters, every... single one of us have an over

-inflated view of what is good and what is necessary

in our lives and for our souls. Do you know why?

Because every single one of us has a remnant

of sin that makes us see ourselves much, much

better than we actually are. We think this ought

to be true of us. We think that ought not to

be true of us. Sin warps our view of ourselves,

our view of what is good for us. Sin warps and

twists our desires and our longings and what

we want in life, what we think is right. and

what we think is wrong, but praise be to God,

the sheep don't lead the shepherd around. This

is why it's so good to be a sheep in God's flock.

Because even when you don't know what is good

for you, even when you don't know what you really

truly need in your life, The sovereign shepherd

of heaven knows perfectly what you need in your

life. He knows perfectly what you need to experience,

what you need to endure, what you need to possess,

and what you need to enjoy in your own soul.

He will not fail and he will not falter. So what

do we do with desires? with longings for things

that we think are good and we think are necessary

in our lives. I don't think that this is wrong.

I don't think that this is sinful. What do we

do with those desires when we are not yet in

possession of them or enjoying them in our lives

or our souls? Well, there's a few options. we

can conclude that we will, one, either come into

possession of it at the appropriate time as the

Lord sees fit. Two, it is not fitting or good

for our lives, whether that be now or in the

future. Or three, our desire and our longing

is twisted because of sin. This is why we must

always return to the Word of God. We must always

come back to the Word to evaluate our longings,

our desires, what is good, what is necessary,

who the Lord is, and how He relates to His covenant.

Can you say believer? And you ought to be able

to say. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not.