The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1
Have you ever heard someone say, “God will give you what you need, not what you want!”? I know that I have, many times – but I disagree.
I totally understand what they’re meaning to say; that God knows what’s best for you and I concur 110% with that! However, when you believe that God will only give you what you need and not what you want, then you start to think in terms of just enough, or even in some cases, lack.
One would have to think how could the God of the universe, the One who created all things and in Him all things exist, the One who owns the earth and the fullness thereof only supply the BASIC NEEDS of His children? He’s not a BASIC GOD!!
In Psalm 23, David says the Lord is his Shepherd and he shall not WANT. He didn’t say that he wouldn’t NEED, but that he would not want. Why did he say this? In 1 Samuel 16, God has told Samuel to go to Jesse’s house and anoint one of his sons as the next king of Israel. When Jesse gets there, David is out in the field. His father knows that Samuel is coming to anoint the next king, yet, he doesn’t even call him into the house for consideration. 
The Bible says that he marched seven of his sons before Samuel, twice. I’m sure Samuel was thinking, I know that I hear from God – I know I have the right address, yet God hasn’t chosen any of them. He then asks Jesse, are these all of your sons? Then Jesse says, “Oh yes, there’s one more – he’s young and he’s out in the field keeping the sheep.” He was probably thinking to himself, David couldn’t possibly be the next king of Israel, he’s outside doing his shepherd duties, blowing kisses to God, saying I’ll bless the Lord at all times, and as the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after the Lord. Not David. Samuel tells Jesse to call his son here for we won’t sit down until he comes. The Bible says that when David walks into the house, God says to Samuel, “Arise and anoint him for this is the one!”
David was basing his decree about not wanting on the fact that he had been a shepherd boy. And he knew that the shepherd makes sure that his sheep have everything that they need – everything. So, knowing that his needs were covered, he went on and said that God is going to supply his wants.
Now what does God have to say about giving you what you WANT?
In 2 Samuel 12, David is now king of Israel. He summons Bathsheba (another man’s wife) to his home and she conceives a child. When David learns that she’s pregnant, he brings her husband home from the battle field and tries to get him to spend some time with his wife. When he doesn’t do that, he has Uriah (her husband) placed on the front line of the HOTTEST battle to make sure that Bathsheba becomes a widow so that he can now marry her. God sends the prophet Nathan to confront David about his sins and to let him know that God has passed judgement on him. However, look at what God says to David!
“I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more!“
If that had been too little – I would have given you MUCH more – not more, but MUCH MORE!! Those sound like wants to me. Let’s look at another example. King David has now died and his son Solomon has been anointed as the next king. In 1 Kings 3:5 God appears to Solomon in a dream and says point blank – “Ask for WHATEVER YOU WANT Me to give you”. God didn’t say what do you need, he said ask for WHATEVER YOU WANT! The Bible goes on to say that Solomon asked for wisdom to be able to rightly judge the people and God said because you’ve asked for wisdom I’m going to give it to you AND I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU THINGS YOU DIDN’T ASK FOR – BOTH RICHES AND HONOR! He didn’t sugar coat it – God didn’t make any apologies for loading him up with good things, He said I am going to make you SO great that no other king will be equal to you!
Jesus said in Matthew 7:11 that if you being evil know how to give good things to your children, then how much more will your Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him! In God’s vocabulary are words like exceedingly, abundantly, far above all that we can ask or think! He’s not a stingy God, He proved that when He provided His greatest treasure as a sacrifice to win mankind back to Him.
For those who belong to Christ (the Good Shepherd), He will supply your needs. And once you’ve matured in the things of God and your life is pleasing to Him, He’ll say to you just as He said to Solomon, “Ask Me for WHATEVER YOU WANT!”
Amen Aleysha! God has blessed me with numerous opportunities that I couldn’t have even begun to fathom! I truly believe he has provided me with all of my needs and wants/desires. I read a post on Urban Belle Magazine, an online magazine for women of color, that talked about God bringing you through the storm, but you have to change your mindset (http://www.urbanbellemag.com/2010/06/god-can-change-storm-you-can-change.html). It’s so true; I was going through so many things last year, and even though things were changing, I couldn’t see it. Once I changed how I was thinking, I saw that everything I needed and wanted was right in front of me.
Thank you Briana for sharing your testimony! The Lord is not running low on any of His resources, nor is his a bare-bones, basic needs only God. I’m rejoicing with you in your victory!
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Would you also agree that people who don’t know the difference between needs and wants only want the wants? It’s a shallow faith that is not humble enough to settle for needs that asks for wants. If “wants” are in the picture we won’t need to ask for them. And if all we want we get, does that exclude the idea that God exempts us from sharing our plenty? Which gives the greater joy and not just happiness?
This has deepened my understanding of provision of God. Even in David’s fault God reassured him that he is the source and that nothing is put of reach for him. I used to think that God only covers the impossible. He only provides when you cannot provide for yourself he will meet your need. But now I’ve realized that he does provide the need… and want . It’s just that you have to believe and have faith and put work behind that faith to be open to receiving the wants. David didn’t see God providing another man’s wife he saw him providing it to himself and it cost him. However David did see God providing him Kingship and not only did David become king but he lived in abundance his entire life… seeing your answer through God himself is the key to believing in provision past just your needs. Thank you for inspiring this revelation I needed it!