Psalm 23:1 (KJV)

Bible Commentary

God has so much to say about money. Psalm 23:1 is a popular Bible Verse, which assures us of His provision and His protection.

Jesus Christ is our covering and protection in every aspect of life. But in order to receive the fullness of that blessing, we must acknowledge the truth and believe the promise. We have to get our “house” cleaned up by getting our belief system in order, which means identifying the lies and throwing them out. It’s like removing dirt and cobwebs from a shiny new home; they don’t belong there.

During a very difficult financial season for our family, God helped me identify the fact that I was using money as a security blanket; money was my confidence. I believed we were safe if our bank account was healthy.

This was a lie I had to “throw out” and at the same time accept His offer of protection from the promises in His Word. Psalm 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

The Root of Truth

When we identify and remove a deception or lie from our belief system, we must replace it with truth and stand firm. Then hang on because most likely our new faith will be tested (James 1:1-2).

Those tests establish and strengthen our roots in the truth, and this takes time. Remember, no matter what the facts of your circumstances are, don’t stop believing the truth. Your faith will be rewarded.

During our financial crisis when we were desperately trying to just keep the lights on, we borrowed money from our teenage son to pay the electric bill. He is very diligent with his money and had collected a nice stash from working part-time. I felt guilty for using his money without the ability to pay him back in a timely manner.

Every time I tried to put some back to repay him, the “black hole” would emerge and take it again. I felt as though my husband and I had failed him because we couldn’t pay him back, and then guilt set in.

Where there is guilt, there is a lie.

God was trying to teach me that He alone is our Provider and our Heavenly Father. Finally, I gave up trying to do it myself and gave it to Him. Jesus is our Shepherd (Psalm 23:1). What I thought was my responsibility was not mine at all. It was His.

You see, when we needed the money to keep the lights on, God provided the money through our son. It was definitely not the way we wanted Him to answer our prayers, but there were no alternatives.

I thought my guilt would be removed when we were able to pay my son back. Wrong. My guilt went away the moment I accepted the real truth and dismissed the lie. I got out of the way so He could take over.

Then I could wait joyfully for God to restore my son’s money, which He did. The weight of the lie was gone! What a relief! Jesus Christ became my peace, rest and satisfaction.

Jesus died to pay our sin debt, and that includes financial debt. It took a great leap of faith for me to believe that we have no financial debt in Jesus Christ, especially when the numbers on paper tell me something else entirely.

What I learned and came to believe is this: God alone is our Provider. But we must:

1) believe Him

2) keep believing Him when the facts don’t support the truth

3) be willing to accept His gift His way

4) be thankful.

Our safety and financial security isn’t in money. I’ll say it again. Freedom isn’t in a number. It’s in Christ. He is our Shepherd. He is our covering—financially and spiritually. Nothing can compare to the riches of His glory.

Study the Bible verse of Psalm 23:1 and rest under the loving care of Christ, your Shepherd.