Of the many adages I heard growing up in a church pew, one of my favorites was “we’re all just sheep.” I can remember countless times, studying through Psalm 23 and learning of the culture of the Shepherd and his watchful eye over the wooly beasts left in his care. Sheep who relied on their shepherd to lead them to water and green pastures, care for them, protect them from danger, and guide them so they didn’t wander off. 

Fast forward to my forties, living life day to day, with responsibilities and deadlines, ministries to fulfill and people to pour into—there are many days I feel more like I’m running with the bulls than grazing in a pasture! 

So what is the point of the Psalmist’s imagery in calling God our Shepherd? And why the insistence in referring to ourselves as sheep?

The answer is alarmingly simple. Here in these two verses, we get a glimpse into the heart of a man who had the right perspective of God, and challenges us to do the same. 

Let us kneel and worship 

Before the Lord, our Maker. 

We are His people. 

It’s His pasture. 

We are His flock. 

Under His care. 

In all that I face in life, in ministry, in my busy hours today, what is holding me back from being reliant on Him? Just as those sheep depend completely on their shepherd to lead them, feed them and care for them, so we are utterly reliant on our Great Shepherd for every moment, every need, every ounce of strength for the journey ahead. 

It’s easy sometimes to forget.  

It’s easy to forget it’s not my pasture, but His.  

To lean on my own understanding. 

To serve in my own strength.  

To forget to rest at His feet.  

Remember it’s not a rat race we’re running! Being reliant on Him means that when we feel frazzled, stressed, stretched thin, and used up, we can run back to this truth, resting in the fact that our Great Shepherd shoulders the burden for us. It’s His pasture, and we are ever under His care.