Summary: "The Lord is my shepherd." These words have brought countless people peace and comfort in the midst of difficult and trying times. For good reason. God is the ultimate caretaker of our souls. However, this phrase also reveals something about us. We are sheep. In the ancient world if you called someone a sheep they would not be happy with you. Why? Because sheep are dimwitted creatures. Wouldn't you rather be called a wild stallion? A horse breaks out of the fence and shouts, "I'm free!" A sheep wanders beyond the gate and says, "Where am I? Whose going to feed me? I'm in serious danger out here!" In other words, we as sheep are in constant need of help. That's the admission on our part when we say, "The Lord is my shepherd." There is no aspect of the sheep's life wherein the shepherd isn't involved. He's constantly feeding, leading, protecting, caring for the flock. This is what good shepherds do. So when Jesus describes himself in this way you can rest assured that he will never leave you or allow you to go without the things you really need.
