READ
“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” Psalm 23:1 NLT
THINK
The Lord plays many roles in our lives - Father, Savior, Friend, Redeemer, and so much more. But for me, there has been something deeply healing about knowing Him as my Shepherd.
In David’s day, shepherding was known to be one of the lowliest and most humbling jobs one could identify with. A shepherd’s job was to care for, guide, and protect their flock. They would bandage their wounds when they were injured by prey while also leading them to places of rest, nourishment, and rejuvenation.
David doesn’t say, “The Lord is a shepherd.” He says, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” This is personal. He knows us, pursues us, protects us, and cares for us. Our identity has nothing to do with what we can accomplish, our relationship status, our appearance, our failures, or our successes. Our identity is rooted in who we belong to.
Jesus says in John 10:14, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” In a noisy world filled with voices competing to tell us who we are, it’s never been more crucial to know the voice of our Shepherd. The more personally we know Him, the more confident we become in what He says about us: we are chosen, loved, forgiven, redeemed, and set apart.
But just like sheep, we are naturally prone to wander. That’s why Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our hearts. We must intentionally protect what God says about us from the voices of the world trying to define us.
When the Lord is your Shepherd, you don’t have to strive for an identity that has already been given to you. You can rest. You can be still. You can confidently say, “I have all that I need,” because your identity is secure in Him.
ACT
What voice has been defining you lately? Are you allowing your Shepherd’s voice to be louder than the voices of your achievements, failures, relationships, or the opinions of others?
Take some time today to be still before the Lord. Remind yourself of what He says is true about you, and ask Him to show you where you have allowed your heart to wander. Then choose to trust His voice and guard your heart.
PRAY
Lord, thank You for being my Good Shepherd. Thank You that my identity is not dependent on what I do, what I have, or what would define me as. Would you give me a greater awareness of your voice, and the strength to respond obediently no matter what. Restore my identity and bring me back to who You created me to be - your child. Teach me to guard my heart, trust Your leadership, and rest in the truth that because You are my Shepherd, I have all that I need.
Private journal
What is God showing you?
Private to this browser and device. Clearing browser data may remove it.