The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. Psalm 23: 1 NIV
This well-known Psalm says that God is the shepherd, making us sheep.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3 (NIV)
Some facts about sheep:
*Sheep are flock animals, strongly sociable.
*They are gentle, defenseless, quick to panic and flee.
*While they are often portrayed as stupid, they are probably as intelligent as other herd animals.
*Sheep can recognize individual human faces and remember them for years.
*If worked with patiently, sheep may learn and respond to their own names.
Sadly, sheep don’t always know a good thing when they have it. Neither do humans.
We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost.
We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong,
on him, on him. Isaiah 53:6 MSG
A shepherd accepts complete responsibility for the sheep. He is guard against danger, guide to new pastures, and supplier of all needs. If one goes missing, he searches and finds it. He gently cares for the wounded (even when the wounds were the sheep’s own silly fault).
The tendency of humans to put themselves into danger’s way and their inability to guide and take care of themselves apart from the direct power and leading of God reinforces the metaphor of sheep and shepherd.
“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. Ezekiel 34: 11-12 NLT
He takes care of his people like a shepherd.
He gathers them like lambs in his arms
and carries them close to him.
He gently leads the mothers of the lambs. Isaiah 40: 11 New Century Version
[Jesus says,] “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. John 10:14-15 (NLT)
They will never again be hungry or thirsty;
they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun.
For the Lamb on the throne
will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:16-17 (NLT)
Searching and finding, protecting and rescuing, caring for and loving, and sacrificing himself, now and eternally. It is one smart sheep who sticks close to that Shepherd.
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“The Lord is my Shepherd,” I go where He leads.
He loves me and guides me and meets all my needs.
In peace I may slumber and nevermore fear:
The vigilant Shepherd remains ever near.