1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
God takes great care of his believers. God is the shepherd of the whole church and he takes us into his fold to protect us and provide for us. If God is our shepherd, we must be as sheep; inoffensive, meek, and quiet before the shearers and butchers too. We must be useful and sociable and know the shepherds voice, and follow him.
When you consider God as your shepherd, you can boldly say, “I shall not want.” There is no fear of starving when God is the feeder. I shall be supplied with whatever I need, and if I do not have everything I desire, I can conclude it is either not fit or good for me, or I shall have it in due time.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still water.
We have the supports and comforts of this life from God’s good hand, and our daily bread from him as our father. The greatest abundance is but a dry pasture to a wicked man, who relishes only in which pleases the senses. But to a godly man, who tastes the goodness of God in all his enjoyments, and by faith relishes that, though he has but little in the world, it is a green pasture.
God’s ordinances are the green pastures, food for all believers. The word of life is nourishment of man, milk for babes, pasture for sheep; never barren, never eaten bare, never parched, but always green pasture for faith to feed in. God gives his saint quiet and contentment in their own minds, whatever their lot is; their souls dwell at ease in him and that makes every pasture green. Let us lie down in green pastures, abide in them and constantly have them feed our souls through grace.
– Summarized and quoted from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Old Testament, Psalm 23 study
Chrism 