The Lord Is My Shepherd

If you open to the middle of your Bible, give or take, you’re likely to get the book called the Psalms. And that’s a good thing because it’s the most distinct book of the entire Bible. There’s nothing else like it.

The popular online Bible site called Bible Gateway reports the most popular bible book searched in 2024, by far, was the Psalms, which also had well over one-third of the top 100 verses searched.

Why are the Psalms so sticky? It’s because they touch our mental, emotional, and spiritual state in the real issues of life. In other words, the Psalms cover the full spectrum of human experience. That’s their distinction. The writers poured out their honest thoughts and feelings in friendship with God, showing what it looks like to live by faith and teaching us about God’s nature.

Perhaps the crowd favorite psalm is Psalm 23. It’s not only a good psalm, but it’s one of the most valued passages of the entire Bible. Without even trying, most people have the first line memorized, “The Lord is my shepherd.” The rest of the psalm goes on to describe, ever so beautifully, what the Lord does as our shepherd.

What’s a shepherd? Shepherds tending sheep became a thing in the Middle East and what was known as the Fertile Crescent. Shepherds were humble, rugged and low-status jobs. They lived outdoors and guided their flocks to pastures and water sources. They had two main jobs: (1) protect the sheep from threats like lions, wolves, and bears, as well as thieves and harsh outdoor conditions, and (2) guide the sheep to finding food and water in the pasture.

When the Lord was described as a shepherd, it became a significant spiritual role. And even more, when Jesus described himself as the Good Shepherd, the term went Hall of Fame! In the sense of Jesus as a shepherd, and what David was getting at in Psalm 23, it’s a vital role. When you think of a shepherd in today’s world, think of a life leader.

Shepherd = Life Leader

Many people automatically think of a caretaker, such as a hospital chaplain, when they think of a shepherd in a spiritual context. And that’s okay. They’re emphasizing the nurturing and caring nature of a shepherd, but friends, it’s that and much, much more. As a shepherd, Jesus leads and guides us. Just look at Psalm 23:2-3:

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, the refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

The Lord, as a shepherd, leads and guides his sheep—that’s you and me. And as a shepherd who leads and guides, Jesus says he’s a good one. He said in John 10:11:

“I am the good shepherd.”

Everyone needs the Good Shepherd. The demand for leadership and guidance in our lives is at an all-time high. We also need good shepherds—real people here and now who represent Jesus and walk with us in the details of our lives.

Read Psalm 23 today. Go to the Good Shepherd for the leadership and guidance you need. If you do:

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:6)