23rd Psalm - Then and Now

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.

“That’s a semi-colon!” I yelled out with a mixture of surprise and glee similar to what Newton probably experienced when an apple fell on his head helping him understand something as obvious as gravity. My wife looked up briefly, shook her head, and then went back to her own reading. She’s used to such nonsensical outbursts from me, but thankfully loves me anyway.

As an eight-year old, I memorized the 23rd Psalm but I have to admit the subtleties between a comma and a semi-colon were lost on me. I understood it as I shall not want the Lord as my shepherd and I always wondered why. Even as an adult I chalked it up as just another of the many mysteries of the old testament.

And then recently as I re-read the passage, I discovered that little dot above the comma making it very much like a period.

The Lord is my shepherd. He will guide me, lead me and teach me. Even when I get lost, as long as I cry out for his help as a lost sheep would, he will bring me back on the path.

I shall not want. My needs will be satisfied. If I choose the Lord as my shepherd - if I do the right things for the right reasons - God will take care of the rest.

Imagine that. What a wonderful message. I wonder if there are any other messages in this book that I missed before....

- Darril R. Gibson