The Lord is my shepherd. . . .

— Psalm 23:1

If the Lord is our shepherd, then the psalm writer is thinking of us as sheep.

I’m not so sure that I like being compared to a sheep. Sheep are not very bright. Humans are far more intelligent. For better or worse, we have more capacity for directing our own lives. So how are we like sheep?

I wonder if the psalm writer might be highlighting how vulnerable sheep are. They have few defenses from predators, for example. And sheep are not very good at finding their way or finding the best grazing areas. They need a shepherd to bring them to good pastures and to find good water to drink.

We humans are vulnerable too. We often lead hurried, distracted lives that wear us out and leave little room for the things that will refresh our souls. We don’t always choose what is good for us.

We can get confused about who our enemies are, and we often forget that our major enemy, the father of lies, will tell us anything to make us believe that we are unworthy of the shepherd’s attention and care. We fall for the lie that there isn’t enough to go around and that we need to get what we can before it is all gone. The deceiver makes us think that we are alone on the journey.

We are vulnerable, and we need a shepherd. In what other ways are we like sheep in need of a shepherd?

We need you, Good Shepherd. Help us to entrust our vulnerabilities to your wise care, knowing that we cannot manage our lives well on our own. Amen.