Sheep and Their Shepherd

The one who penned the words, “The Lord is my Shepherd”, had himself been a shepherd. Young David tended sheep. He knew his sheep, loved them, cared for them, protected them, and no doubt knew exactly what they needed. He was good at his job. As he sat on a hillside watching the sheep thinking about his responsibility as a shepherd he must have concluded, “My sheep have it made. I have made sure that they are safe, and fed, and watered, and that they do not wander off and get lost. My sheep have everything they need.”

What a great experience for a young boy! A farm boy can learn many wonderful things about life growing up in the country and working on a farm. Those experiences are never forgotten. When David was older and he began to have adult experiences consisting of terrible failures, incredible successes, deep sorrows, frightening fears, confusing doubts, all the things we experience in life, he thought, ‘Hey, I’m just like a sheep, and the Lord is my Shepherd. You know, there is not one thing that I need. God takes care of me. He knows exactly what I need.’

Years later a man came along and he said, I am the good Shepherd.” He looked out at the multitude of people on the hillside, the towns of his day, and I believe at every person from that time to now, and he said, “They are like sheep without a shepherd. They have gone astray, they are lost and if I don’t get them to come with me to the sheep pen they will die.” His heart was broken because he loved human sheep two thousand years ago, and he loves all of us today, stubborn, self centered sheep.  He loved sheep so much that he was willing to lay down his life for them, and he did. Jesus, the only good Shepherd, told the sheep, “Follow me! I am the Way, the only way. I am the Light that will guide you to a new life where you will always be safe. There is no need for you to worry or fear anything. I am your savior. You shall not want. I will never leave you. I am all you need.”

Isn’t it comforting knowing that no matter what our status, poor or  rich, black or white, old or young, lost or found, we have the same good Shepherd who loved us enough to die for us and provide us with everything we really need?