You can download today’s reflective colouring sheet here: The Lord is my Shepherd
Take a moment to read the lyrics of this song:
The Lord is my shepherd.
I will always have everything I need.
He gives me green pastures to lie in.
He leads me by calm pools of water.
He restores my strength.
He leads me on right paths to show that he is good.
Even if I walk through a valley as dark as the grave,
I will not be afraid of any danger, because you are with me.
Your rod and staff comfort me.
You prepared a meal for me in front of my enemies.
You welcomed me as an honoured guest.
My cup is full and spilling over.
Your goodness and mercy will be with me all my life,
and I will live in the Lord’s house a long, long time.
(Or, you might want to listen to a version of it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN4tPkX0MG0)
This is a famous song from the Bible, Psalm 23, which paints a picture of how God looks after us.
When a good shepherd looks after their sheep, they are aware of their needs. They take them to good pastures, to clean water and make sure they don’t get lost along the way. When wolves and bears attack, the shepherd stands in between them and the sheep and protects their flock from harm. God is described here as a shepherd, He does all of these things for his flock!
So if God is the shepherd, who is the writer saying you and I are? We are the sheep. Now that might not be very flattering to us, but if you think about it you will realise there are a lot of similarities between us and sheep. We can wonder off and get lost, or find ourselves feeling scared in a difficult situation, or worried about whether our needs will be met. I don’t know about you, but I can certainly see some sheep like qualities in my own life…
So what do the sheep have to do in this song? Do they have to impress the shepherd and prove that they are worth looking after? Or maybe they have to grow stronger and battle off the wolves themselves? Or find their own pastures and water?
No – none of that. All they have to do is trust the shepherd to lead and look after them. And he does. He knows their every need, he knows what is best for them and he will keep them safe.The Bible tells us that it’s the same for us. God has already promised to give us everything that we need to keep on going and so we can trust Him to guide us well. He cares for us like a good shepherd cares for his sheep.
Take a moment to think about how this song might encourage you. And then why not put on some reflective music and fill in the sheet today – colouring and thinking about the questions at the bottom.
You might want to talk to God about what you have learned today, you could even ask Him to help you to trust Him this week.
Photo by Biegun Wschodni on Unsplash