I Shall Not Want, What I Have in God, Obedience, God's Love vs. Culture's Love, The Shepherd's Rod, More Authentic Worship, and "As We Go"
In This Issue... Psalm 23:1, Quotes by Max Lucado and Henry Blackaby, Observations by Austin Fruits, Tim Challies, and Don Chapman, Song by Boundless featuring Marc James & Jemimah Paine
Photo by Evgeni Tcherkasski on Unsplash
Welcome to this issue of one24worship - Because worship is a daily lifestyle, one 24-hour day at a time, not just a weekly event.
The one24worship Newsletter is a weekly offering of inspiration, ideas, and insights landing in your email inbox every Thursday... 1-2-4: one verse, two quotes, and four observations at a time.
THE MOST DANGEROUS PSALM IN THE BIBLE
Several years ago, the late Dr. Steve Farrar was preaching a message at a church in Hawaii. He began his sermon by calling the 23rd Psalm “The Most Dangerous Psalm in the Bible.”
Really? Psalm 23?
The… “the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” Psalm?
Why would Steve call Psalm 23 the most dangerous Psalm in the Bible?
He explained…
“I think Psalm 23 is the most dangerous Psalm in the Bible. And why would it be dangerous? Because everybody knows it. Christians know Psalm 23; non-Christians are aware of Psalm 23.” Dr. Steve Farrar1
Everybody knows the 23rd Psalm! We hear “Psalm 23” and immediately we can all check the “been there, done that, got the t-shirt” box.
And while everybody may be familiar with this Psalm, everybody may not be consciously aware that everyone on planet earth has a Shepherd.
If we’re young, our “Shepherd” might be our popularity or our peer group or our influence or even our “likes” and “follows” on social media.
If we’re old, our “Shepherd” might be our retirement portfolio or our health.
(Frankly, if we’re young, our “Shepherd” might be our retirement portfolio or our health, too.)
How can we determine who or what is our Shepherd?
Helpfully, King David provided an assist to help us answer that question in the very first verse of Psalm 23…
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1 KJV
The word “want” is an old-English word that simply means “lack.” The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not “lack.”
Whenever we experience some type of lack, any type of lack, by paying attention to where we go to have our lack satisfied, we can be assisted in discovering who or what is our Shepherd - or who our Shepherds are.
Whenever we’re needy or lacking, where do we go to get our needs and wants met?
THAT “place” is our Shepherd. THOSE “places” are our Shepherds!
Psalm 23 reveals that when the Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not lack.
But that seems to create a problem - because we all have times where we experience what we could only describe as a moment (or perhaps a season) of want or lack!
Regarding this dilemma, Matthew Henry wrote:
“More is implied than is expressed, not only, I shall not want, but, ‘I shall be supplied with whatever I need; and, if I have not every thing I desire, I may conclude it is either not fit for me or not good for me or I shall have it in due time.’” (emphasis mine) Matthew Henry2
As we look into this Most Dangerous Psalm, and as we go to our Good Shepherd to meet every lack this week, as one24worshipers, may we find in Him all we need, without any want, save those things which are…
either not good for us,
or that are too much for us to handle,
or that are not good for us, or too much for us to handle - right now.
Enjoy!
David
ONE VERSE
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1 KJV
TWO QUOTES
Max Lucado
“What I have in God is greater than what I don’t have in this life.” Max Lucado
[Source: Max Lucado, A Prison of WANT at MaxLucado.com3]
Henry Blackaby
“Obedience is the outward expression of your love for God.” Henry Blackaby
[Source: Richard Blackaby, Reflecting on Twenty Years of Blackaby Ministries International at RichardBlackaby.com4]
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FOUR OBSERVATIONS
1. God’s Love vs. Culture’s Love: Unmasking 3 Dangerous Lies - by Austin Fruits at Josh.com
“Love as mere desire consumes rather than gives. It objectifies people, and though temporary cravings may be satisfied, it leaves a profound emptiness behind. Deep down, we long for intimacy and faithfulness—not to be consumed.” Austin Fruits
Article Excerpt: “Our culture is lovesick. Partly because we are created to love, and partly because the modern understanding of love is greatly distorted. Our media is filled with stories that shape our expectations of what love should be, and it’s not always for the better. We hope for love, try it out, and are often left feeling empty and dissatisfied.” 👉 Read More…
2. When the Shepherd’s Rod is … You! - by Tim Challies at Challies.com
“As you pass through the valley of the shadow of death, and the shepherd comforts you with his staff, you will discover that he has fashioned his people to act as his rod of rescue.” David Mathis
Article Excerpt: “It is for good reason that so many Christians commit Psalm 23 to memory, for as it tells of the love of the Shepherd for his sheep, and as it describes the tender protection of his flock, it assures us that God is leading and guiding us through the dark valleys of our lives.” 👉 Read More…
3. FOR WORSHIP LEADERS: Are Worshippers Looking for More Authentic Worship? - by Don Chapman at WorshipIdeas.com
“A faithful worship leader magnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit by skillfully combining God’s Word with music, thereby motivating the gathered church to proclaim the gospel, to cherish God’s presence, and to live for God’s glory.” Bob Kauflin
Article Excerpt: “The challenge for modern worship leaders becomes finding the balance between excellence and accessibility, between utilizing helpful technology and avoiding production that creates barriers. Every choice—from song keys to lighting levels to volume settings—should be evaluated through the lens of whether it helps people participate in worship or turns them into spectators of someone else’s performance.” 👉 Read More…
4. SONG “Boundless – As We Go (feat. Marc James & Jemimah Paine) (Live Video)”
VERSES ONE and TWO, CHORUS
V1: “As we go from this place / May we go in the strength of the Lord… / Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus / His Spirit will lead us on…”
V2: “As we move from this moment / Forget not what our God has done… / Keep your faith in the Father / His Spirit will scatter us all…”
CHO: “Let Your kingdom come… / Let our kingdoms go… / Let Your river run… / Let it overflow… / Let Your kingdom come… / Let our kingdoms go… / Let Your river run… / Let it overflow…”
by Nick Herbert, Graham Hunter, Marc James, Jemimah Paine & andyflannaganmusic
© 2025 Integrity Music (PRS) (adm at IntegratedRights .com), Nick Herbert
Until next week,
David Guion
P.S.
Sermon Notes from IG (Posted 250914)
“The enemy tries to make our problems seem bigger than our God.” Brother Butch Ikels
Disclosure
No affiliate links are contained in this newsletter.
"Psalm 23: The Lord is My Shepherd - Part 1" Sermon by Dr. Steve Farrar on July 14, 2013 at New Hope Church Oʻahu, Hawaii.
https://psalms.org/study/matthew-henry-commentary-psalm-23 (Website accessed Thursday, September 18, 2025.)
https://maxlucado.com/a-prison-of-want/ (Website accessed Thursday, September 18, 2025.)
https://richardblackaby.com/reflecting-on-twenty-years-of-blackaby-ministries-international/ (Website accessed Wednesday, September 17, 2025)
As I read about the 23rd Psalm, I always think of His promise, yea though, I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Today when I thought of that verse, I remembered Jesus on the cross. He went through the valley of death alone. God could not look on sin, Jesus had the weight of ever one's sin on Him,as He was crucified. Darkness fell across the land from 12 noon until three o'clock.
Jesus cried out in a loud
voice, My God, My God why have you abandon me. We will never have to face that.