Devotion:
Read Psalm 23.
Of all the comparisons God could have made, in Psalm 23 he chose the image of a needy sheep and a strong but gentle shepherd. Sheep have a natural tendency to wander off and get lost. Sheep are essentially dumb animals that do not learn well and are extremely difficult to train. Well, maybe that explains why he chose sheep to describe us! They do not have good eyesight, nor do they hear well. They are very slow animals who cannot escape predators; they have no camouflage and no weapons for defense such as claws, sharp hooves, or powerful jaws. And, sheep are easily frightened and become easily confused. In fact, they have been known to plunge blindly off a cliff following one after another. I was blessed to see a shepherd leading a flock of sheep in Israel recently. In lock step they followed him up and down hills, through a ravine, down a valley, and off to the grazing spot. Sheep need a shepherd to guide them, protect them, and care for them. Our Great Shepherd created us to need him and to have our needs met by him. Where are you needy today? You may have situations that bring out your fear, worry, feelings of inadequacy, insecurities, doubt, or loneliness. Maybe you are in a season where you feel small and uncertain, or fragile. During those times God attends to your needs; he watches over your heart. He cares for you like a shepherd cares for his sheep. Psalm 23 is God’s way of saying, “I made you to need me. I am with you no matter what.”
In every situation, in every season, your Shepherd is with you. In the green pastures and beside the still waters, he is with you. In life’s paths and through dark valleys, he is with you. In waiting rooms and by hospital beds and at the cemetery, during the chemo treatments, he is with you. Through Covid 19, isolation, and quarantine, he is with you. What need do you need to cast on him? Let him be the shepherd that he desires to be. Let him carry your burden today and then say, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.”
Personal Worship Option:
You won’t experience all the Lord can be and wants to be as your Shepherd if you aren’t willing to be a sheep. Sheep give all their worries and cares to the shepherd. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” We are to give, to cast our worries on the great Shepherd because he cares about us. How would that look in your life if you really did that today? Think of just one care or concern. Imagine casting it on the shepherd. Imagine putting it on the Shepherd’s shoulders. And then leave it there.
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