When I think of the life of a shepherd it sounds relaxing. You get to spend your days with cute sheep and even cuter lambs, enjoying God’s beautiful landscape, eating your lunch under a shady tree in silence and with a book as your companion (an introvert’s dream).
But being a real shepherd was actually hard work. The work day started early and ended late. It required a lot of walking and vigilant watch over the sheep so that none of them wandered off. If one did get lost it was the shepherd’s job to hunt it down and bring it back into the fold. Shepherds who truly cared for their flock were willing to put their life on the line for their sheep.
It is interesting and important that the Bible calls us sheep. We need to be cared for and we need to be led. We need protection and provision. We desperately need a shepherd, and The Lord takes that title upon himself.
As David cared for his sheep, so God cares for us, “the sheep of his pasture.”
But what does it mean that the Lord is our Shepherd (Ps. 23)? How does he lead us and care for us?
The Shepherd Guides us in Wisdom
When it comes to wisdom we either think that we know it all or we look for it in all the wrong places. We look outward to our culture, or to other people, and inward to our emotions for guidance. We like the idea of “following our heart.” But true wisdom always starts by looking upward to our great Shepherd, and to the truth that He has revealed to us in his Word.
The reason we need God is because wisdom is more than knowledge. Wisdom is taking the knowledge of God and applying it to our lives. We can’t do this on our own. We need the Shepherd to show us the way.
“For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” – Proverbs 2:6
God promises to teach us and guide us, but he always does this through His written Word. Most importantly, Jesus is said to be our wisdom, for in him we gain the true knowledge of God (1 Cor. 1:30).
The Shepherd Cares for us by his Providence
I LOVE this truth! It brings me such great peace knowing that God’s providential care is over me. The fact that God governs all things in the world at all times is a great source of peace. From the care of creation (Ps 104) to the details of my life (Mt. 10:29), God is caring for us all. Nothing that happens to us is a mistake, and nothing takes God by surprise. From our happiest days to our most devastating moments, ALL is a part of God’s providential and good care for us. He knows what is best and He knows all that needs to happen in order to lead His sheep home.
We are Fed by his Pasture
The pasture refers to God’s Word. As we already saw, it is in God’s Word that we find wisdom, but it is also in God’s Word that we find food for our souls– a spiritual feast that causes growth in faith and affection for our Shepherd-God.
The Scripture is called both “milk” and “meat” for the people of God, and by it we are nourished, made strong, and grow in salvation (Heb. 5:12-15; 1 Pet. 2:2).
To know the Lord as “Shepherd” ultimately means that we know Jesus Christ, the “Great Shepherd” of the sheep (Heb. 13:20). It means that we recognize His voice and follow Him (Mt. 10:27). It means that as we follow Him, we learn to be content with where He leads us.
Do you know your Shepherd to be perfectly good, always kind, in no way cruel, and never wrong? Then we, of all people, should be content with our lives. This is where our Shepherd has led us for the time being.
“Our Good Shepherd is Master of the world, stronger than all enemies,
Conqueror of all, and is able to provide for His sheep in any place!”
– J.R. Miller
The truth that Jesus is our Great Shepherd, that he gives each one of his sheep his undivided attention, and that he gave up his life in order to save his sheep, should fill us with joy, give us hope in hard times and a deep desire to follow this Shepherd all the days of our lives.
Looking To Jesus,

Jen, this article was a mountain mover for me. Thanks for the eloquence of your putting ‘what is familiar’ together in such a way that it struck an inner cord that I haven’t been able to even recognize was there!
This LGG Study of David was questionable to all around me, but I took it on anyway. And before the first week, I’m seeing why. The topic is ‘routine’ for me. I’m 52, baptized 45 years.
But I have already seen how “God provides in ways unseen.”
Elayna
We are so glad you decided to join us in this study! It is amazing how God gives us new revelation to even the routine and familiar! It is not a coincidence that you have joined us, and we pray that this study enhances your spiritual growth!
~Terria (LGG Encourager)
I am struggling with this right now. But I hear God saying “I see you.” Even when I think what I dingoes unnoticed He sees me being faithful.
Lacey
God does see you! He does delight in you. His thoughts of you are precious and outnumber the grains of sand. You are never forgotten. You are never insignificant. You are never alone. God adores you. Rest in that knowledge.
~Terria (LGG Encourager)
As an introvert, I tend to rely on myself WAY too much. It’s something I struggle with. This week’s reading about our Shepherd contained verses I desperately needed to read! It is an absolute comfort knowing that God is carrying me close and leading me each day. And like you said, it definitely brings me joy knowing that God takes care of me each and every day. Great blog, great study! 🙂
Audra
Thank you for joining us in this study. It is a great comfort to know that when we are at our weakest, God is at His strongest. We don’t have to have it all together, know all of the answers, or conquer all of our problems. In fact, God desires our total dependence and reliance on Him. We can rest in His amazing grace. We are so glad that the study is transforming your life.
~Terria (LGG Encourager)
Jen, I absolutely LOVED this post!! Especially: “Do you know your Shepherd to be perfectly good, always kind, in no way cruel, and never wrong? Then we, of all people, should be content with our lives. This is where our Shepherd has led us for the time being.” This is a truth I have to constantly remind myself of, and I’m hoping will one day just “stick!” I have a habit of seeing what others have or do and looking at my life and seeing something less. The fact that I should be content with my life because God has me right where he wants me at this time is something I am slowly starting to fully embrace. I’m not there yet, but I’m further along than I was last year! This was just a great reminder and a fresh perspective. Thank you!
Jen, Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Great encouragement for me today.
❤️
My struggle this week has NOT been knowing THAT Jesus takes care of me….. I know with NO doubt He has and does…..my life is Living Proof. But rather it is accepting the avenue He chooses for His care. And who am I to question who/how He uses to do that! Thank you for helping me accept His provision and knowing it came from Him through whomever/whatever way He chooses to care for me. I AM blessed beyond description. I am over 70 and EVER learning!!
This study has already begun to help me see that God isn’t ‘out to get me’ when I mess up. As matter of fact, He is waiting to forgive me and put me back on the path He planned for my life from the beginning. He wants me to spend time developing a real relationship with Him. I can’t be perfect and He knew that before He created me and still He took care in every detail of my life and creation.
Beth, you are amazing. I love that you can acknowledge him. He will continue to feed you and look for you if you ever get lost. He will continue to be faithful to you and your children. His love is amazing.
Thanks Jen, I agree that God is a perfect shepherd who is always present. I’m not sure I would say that even “our most devastating moments” are “part of God’s providential and good care for us”. Though at times He does cause (provide) blows to lead us to Him (Deut 32:39), often those devastations are caused by our own bad choices, by the enemy of our souls, or just the result of the sinful world we live in. Our ever-present Shepherd allows them and certainly uses them for good if we “love Him and are called according to His purpose.” Rom. 8:28) [ I may be nit-picking, and I know you already know this–I may have even learned it from you! But for some reason the wording on that phrase unsettled me.]
Wow!! What an awesome first week of study!! Before we began, I was worried I would be overwhelmed, but I was very mistaken about that. I loved the similarities between God and David!! What touched my heart the most with Jen’s post was: 1) God’s pasture is His Word, food for our souls that “causes growth in faith and affection for God”; and 2) “that He gave up his life in order to save His sheep should fill us with joy, give us hope in hard times and a deep desire to follow this Shepherd all the days of our lives”. Yes, follow THIS SHEPHERD!! Those words just jumped off the page at me. Thank you, Jen, for a great post!! I have learned so much already and am so excited for the weeks to come!
Thank you. It has opened my eyes as a reminder that I once was lost the lord was there every day. Until I acknowledge him I did not see his unfailing love. I have comforting in knowing he is doing the same for my children and I need to wait upon them to open their eyes (acknowledge) the Lord. It is in his hands and not mine. I have received the wonderful gift of peace this week. Thank you.
So many reasons to have joy, hope, and peace! I ♡ how God surrounds us with protection, guidance, and provision. Thanks Jen for your words of truth!
I loved how you said that our pasture is God’s Word. How can I not read His word if that is my pasture. I love this study.
I believe and know that God cares for me ,but I am having a very difficult time being content where I am in my life, but it comforts me to know that God is always with me that I am never alone He cares for me 🙂
Millie, that is a good sign that you are feeling discontentment. Many times we need that push. We are creatures of habit and dislike change. Kneel down-go to God Abd tell Him you are ready to fulfill His plan for your life. Open yourself up. Be still and listen for His voice.
Everyday I study I pick one word to focus on. Tonight’s word is pasture. Verse 3 says we are the sheep of his pasture. It encourages me that I have a place of occupant in Gods providence! He provides all that I need in His pasture! I have to be careful not to wander away from or be led astray from God’s provisions. In his pasture is his presence! ❤️ that’s here I want to be! Always grazing!!
So rewarding. God bless you exceedingly with the choicest blessings of the kingdom.Sylvester A. Johnson from Liberia, west Africa.