The Lord is my shepherd indeed. Jesus Christ, who came in flesh to dwell among us, was prophesied to be our shepherd (Micah 5:4,5). When He was on the earth, He testified Himself that He is a good shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep (John 10:11).
Since the Lord is our shepherd, we are His sheep. What may be some characteristics of the sheep that the Lord leads? First, we are known individually by the Lord. The good shepherd calls His own sheep by name and leads them out (John 10:3). The Lord knows us personally and has even engraved us on the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16). He does not see us as a mere herd, but knows each one of us individually and laid down His life for each of us. Second, we as His sheep know the Lord and He knows us, the same way that God the Father and God the Son know each other (John 10:14). Do we really know the Lord that well? The book that lets us know the Lord the best is the Bible (John 5:39) and the person who helps us understand the Bible is the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, I Corinthians 2:9,10). Because the Lord is the object of our love, we should be able to read and meditate on the Word of God as sweeter than honey, even honey from the comb, just as the psalmist did (Psalm 19:7-10). Third, the Lord's sheep know His voice and follow Him (John 10:4). The Lord's sheep can distinguish between His voice and a stranger's voice (John 10:5). The difference between a voice and a mere sound is that the voice is unique to its owner and lets the hearer know of the owner. We must discern the Lord's voice. We must discern the truth and follow the word of the Lord in obedience. The Lord leads us to green pastures and quiet waters and restores our souls. We must trust that He will fill our needs with goodness; and trustingly we must follow Him.
"Lord, you are my Good Shepherd. Lead me; I will follow You. In Jesus' name. Amen."
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