Daily Devotions
Monday, April 20, 2026
The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)
A modern Christian symbol and clothing brand logo looks like this: He > i. The image borrows a mathematical sign, with no numbers involved, to express our relationship to the Lord Jesus: “He is greater than I.” The logo is inspired by the words of John the Baptist, who said of Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). In the familiar opening words of Psalm 23, the psalmist sets up a different biblical equation, although no math is involved in this one either. The first part of the equation simply states, “The LORD is my Shepherd.” The LORD is Yahweh, the God of Israel, the Creator of all things. He is the LORD who calls the stars by name and knows when a single sparrow falls to the ground. Our God raises and destroys kingdoms and knows our every word before we speak. This mighty, all-knowing, ever-present LORD is our Shepherd, our strong and gentle Guardian and Caretaker.
Our great Shepherd knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our doubts and fears and wandering ways. When we stray from the righteous path on which He leads us, He calls us to repentance and forgives our sins. We do not deserve a Shepherd like this, yet in love and grace He was born among us to save us. Our mighty Shepherd willingly offered Himself as the sacrificial Lamb to atone for the sins of the world. He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life to save us and took up His life again. He is the Lamb who will be our Shepherd forever.
As we follow Jesus, the Lamb who is our Shepherd, we arrive at the other half of our biblical equation: “I shall not want.” The crucified and risen LORD is our Shepherd, and for that reason we have all we need. We are guarded, guided, and fed by His gracious hand. “I shall not want” may not be a statement we use very often. We think we need many things and want even more. Yet the Lamb who is our Shepherd knows our needs. He tells us not to worry about such things as food or clothing because “your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all” (Matthew 6:32b). Jesus our Shepherd turns our hearts away from anxiety and worry and draws our attention to His love and care. We are to concern ourselves, not with our wants and needs, but with following Him along paths of righteousness. As our Shepherd tells us, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). A shepherd counts sheep, but we count on our Shepherd. The simple biblical equation says it all. “The LORD is my Shepherd” = “I shall not want.” It all adds up.
WE PRAY: Jesus, Good Shepherd, lead me to walk in Your ways and to trust Your loving care. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
- What is a shepherd’s primary focus when on the job?
- How is Jesus both our great Shepherd and the Lamb of God?
- How can we be “shepherds” in the lives of others? Can you provide any examples of what this would look like?
Today's Readings:
Judges 16-18Luke 15:11-32
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