In the Bible, we’re sometimes compared to sheep. They’re one of the most dependent creatures in the world; they must trust in the shepherd for everything they need. And that’s how God wants us to live: dependent on Him. If we’re constantly living in fear that our needs won’t be met, we need to honestly assess how much we’re trusting God. If we try to depend on ourselves to meet our needs, we’ll probably end up exhausted. God is able and willing to take care of us. The Bible says: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.’ We won’t necessarily have everything we want, but we’ll have everything we need. In Matthew 6, Jesus said: ‘Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?’ (vv.25-26 NIV). God knows our needs, just as a shepherd knows the needs of the flock. But being dependent on God doesn’t mean we don’t have to do anything. We have to be willing to follow our Shepherd, rather than wander off on our own. We need to learn to recognise our Shepherd’s voice, so we don’t get distracted by other voices. The Bible says: ‘His sheep follow him because they know his voice.  But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognise a stranger’s voice’ (John 10:4-5 NIV). If we stay focused on God’s voice and His promises, we won’t be fearful of what’s ahead because we trust in Him and His goodness to us. 

What Now?

Read Psalm 23, and write out any verses which stand out to you as you’re reading.