Day 3 | The LORD Is My Shepherd – Alex

Do you ever feel like God’s distant? That your prayers are boomeranging back to you instead of reaching the Father?

You’re definitely not alone. I’ve also been there myself. Yet Psalm 23:1 paints a very different picture that we’re all invited into. King David states that, “The LORD is my shepherd.”

The LORD’s far from an emotionally detached Creator, but One who desires to shepherd and pastor His people in the way of King Jesus.

Sheep depend wholeheartedly on their shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection. So to call the LORD our shepherd is to admit that we need Him and trust that He will care for us and our families.

In John 10:14-15, King Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

King Jesus doesn’t just guide us from far, He intimately knows you. He sees your responsibilities, the stress you carry on your shoulders, your questions about the future, and even the silent struggles that are gradually crushing you.

Amidst raising a family, navigating college exams, working a 9-to-5 at Kroger, battling cancer, or experiencing loneliness in a retirement home, our King is right beside you every single step of the way.

And He proved His commitment to you and everybody else in God’s forever family at the cross. The Good Shepherd willingly laid down His life so that anybody could become a new creation and brought near to the Father despite their past sin and spiritual rebellion.

In other words, His leadership is far from controlling or manipulative, it’s loving, wise, and ultimately, for your good. 

You can trust wherever the Trinity leads you because of what Jesus has already done on your behalf. But calling the LORD your shepherd also beckons a response. 

We follow.

Sheep don’t Google Maps their own routes in this journey called life. They stay ever close to the Good Shepherd’s voice no matter what’s happening all around them. In the same way, following King Jesus means surrendering control, not relying on ourselves, and trusting His lordship in everyday moments. That’s where this orthodoxy (right belief) becomes orthopraxy (right practice).

We currently live and have our being in a culture that screams at us to lead our own lives, to live our own truths, and be the captain of our souls. But Psalm 23 offers an even better way of life: one that’s guided by the Good Shepherd.

Following the LORD may not always feel easy, but it’s ultimately better. If He is your Shepherd, you never have to navigate this life alone. His wisdom is far greater than ours. His presence is constant whether we’re at church, Starbucks, or in our home. His care is more personal than your very best friend. So, if the LORD is your Shepherd, it changes everything.

REFLECT

1. What does it mean for you to personally say, “The Lord is my Shepherd”?

2. Where do you need to trust King Jesus’ lordship instead of your own understanding?

PRAYER

LORD, thank you for being my Good Shepherd. For knowing the real me and still loving me enough to go to the cross and die in my place so that I could be brought near to the Father. If you never gave me another thing, thank You that the cross is more than enough between now and Eternity. Help me Holy Spirit to be led by You no matter what’s happening all around me. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

Before starting your day, take one minute to pray: “LORD, You are my Shepherd, lead me today and always.” Then choose one choice, big or small, where you will intentionally follow His way and forsake your own.