I pictured Psalm 23 wrong for years.

Every time I read about “green pastures”…I pictured endless meadows and peaceful streams, and sheep grazing contentedly in safety.

Then I spent a week in the Judean wilderness where David wrote this psalm.

There was just scattered grass along dry, dusty paths, where sheep must trust their shepherd for every meal.

It looked like this:

This isn’t just geography.

This isn’t just context.

This is revelation.

This is trust redefined.

In this environment, grass grows in small tufts along dusty paths.

Sheep can eat a single mouthful, and then need to look to their shepherd to direct them to the next mouthful.

In Hebrew, when David wrote “I shall not want,” he used the phrase “lo ehsar”, which literally means “nothing will be missing from my life.”

The idea of this verse is that God doesn’t always give you what you WANT – but he does give you everything you NEED.

The Biblical definition of shepherding means: Daily guidance, not endless fields. Enough for now, not excess provision.

And trusting in God as your shepherd means trusting that:

When paths are dusty, he guides.

When grass is scattered, he leads.

Where resources are scarce, he provides.

What is your ‘not enough’ is actually God’s ‘exactly what you need’?

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED! HE LETS ME REST IN THE MEADOW GRASS AND LEADS ME BESIDE THE QUIET STREAMS.

Psalm 23:1-2

Dave Adamson

Instagram @aussiedave