"The Lord is my shepherd;
I have what I need."
~Psalm 23:1
In this most beloved and well-known of Psalms, we are introduced to another beautiful name of God, Jehovah Raah, which means literally " The Lord My Shepherd". This points us to the truth that God guides, protects, and cares for us just as a shepherd for his flock, which I think is such a timely and meaningful next step in our study following on the heals of what we learned last week. Last Tuesday we talked about our God also being the host of vast angel armies whom He uses to guard and defend us. He truly is always looking out for us and protecting us all along life's way!
As we seek to understand fully what the implications are exactly of God being our Shepherd, let's think for a moment about some of the things a shepherd does for a flock of sheep.
He protects them. Shepherds of literal sheep are known for having it as their main job to protect the naive, poor, defenseless sheep against the attacks of wild animals such as wolves. In much the same way, our God seeks to protect us from wolves in sheep's clothing (i.e. false teachers in the church) through the gift He has given us of His Holy Spirit Whose job it is to remind us of truth and guide us therein.
Similarly, our God also seeks to protect us from the attacks of the enemy who prowls around as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (see 1 Peter 5:8). He has even gone so far as to provide us with His very own armor (see Ephesians 6:10-18) that we can daily put on in order to come out on the other side of battle with the enemy victorious.
He provides for them. Another job of a shepherd caring for sheep is to provide for their needs, both needs for food, water, as well as shelter when needed. Our Shepherd is the One Who provides these things for us, as well. As we have already seen, He is our Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. Part of the Lord's Prayer which Jesus sets forth for us in the gospels as our example is a portion referring to God giving "us this day our daily bread". He is our Provider and Sustainer, providing us with the sustenance - physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally that we need to be healthy and whole.
He searches for them. One of my favorite stories of Jesus' was when He talked about the shepherd who left behind his 99 sheep in order to go and search for his 1 lost sheep. Just as that earthly shepherd did for his lost sheep, so, too, our caring Shepherd always goes on a search for us, as well. Whether He is searching after lost people who have never once yet come to Him for salvation, or whether He is searching for us when we have backslidden, searching for lost sheep is His heart's delight. That is how much He loves us all!
What a beautiful thing it is to be shepherded by such a dear, caring, wise, and protective Shepherd!
Reflection Questions:
1) What most stands out to you about the tasks our Shepherd performs for us?
2) Which one means the most to you and why?
3) How can you remind yourself on a daily basis of the constant care your Shepherd is providing for you?
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