Psalm 23

    1      The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
    2      He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
    He leads me beside the still waters.
    3      He restores my soul;
    He leads me in the paths of righteousness
    For His name’s sake.

    4      Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil;
    For You are with me;
    Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

    5      You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
    You anoint my head with oil;
    My cup runs over.
    6      Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    All the days of my life;
    And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
    Forever.
-Psalm 23

There is such a humbling reality to recognizing the Lord as being our Shepherd. When we consider the way a shepherd cares for his flock it helps us to understand the incredible significance of the Lord being called our Shepherd. He takes care of and nourishes His flock. He guides them and leads them, being sure that they have all they need. He stands by to protect them.

The tone of this Psalm is particularly profound because the focus is not set upon an escape from our problem or from danger, but upon a readiness to face darkness. The Lord gives us endurance to run the race set before, not to dodge the race altogether. If the peace we experience is not one of escape then it must be one of victory. Is this not the very nature of what the Shepherd does with us? He leads us into victory.

The Lord is leading. The question is, will you follow? Do you allow yourself to be led by the Lord? It can become an easy matter to trust yourself and lead yourself without really recognizing it until you've found yourself so strayed from the path that you wonder how you ever got there. There is an active diligence that must take place to be sure you are following the Lord. Let Him be your Shepherd. Let Him be your Lord.