New Ways to Think about Our Shepherd

We regularly think of God as our shepherd, and almost universally we think of a male shepherd (like King David in his younger years). But the Bible talks about Rachel as a wise and wily shepherd (in Genesis 29-31) and Zipporah as a capable shepherd and yet another woman (besides his mother and sister) who saved Moses’ life (Ex 2:16 & 4:24-26). So what if we read through one of the classic texts about God as our shepherd with a slightly different slant? Pay attention to how this lands for you… what does it stir up? Where is there comfort? Or discomfort?

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
She makes me lie down in green pastures, she leads me beside quiet waters,
She refreshes my soul.
She guides me along the right paths for her name’s sake. - Psalm 23:1-3

Take some time to think about your Great Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4) - and allow yourself to be cared for, challenged, and directed today by God our Shepherd.