God's Sheep ~ Inspiration from Psalm 23

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."

Psalm 23:1

I read Psalm 23 the other morning. It's a short and familiar Psalm which caused me to read it fast and when I'd finished, left me thinking, "That was fast, I don't know if I really even thought about what I just read." I felt like I should stop and think about it some more, but didn't know what I was to be thinking about. I looked down at the foot note in my study Bible.  It said,

"Believers are never pictured as mighty lions, independent and self-sufficient; rather, they are sheep who are dependent on the shepherd for His provision and protection. The believer is more than a dependent sheep, however; he is also like an honored guest since the Lord prepares a table for him. Connected with this honored position is abundant provision, vindication before one's enemies, and eternal celebration of God's goodness."

I hadn't heard it put that way before and found it encouraging.

First, I was challenged by the dependency we put on our Savior to provide and protect us.  Bosses, friends, and family members will disappoint and fail us.  No one is perfect. No matter what we do, we cannot keep ourselves from getting hurt by other people or ourselves, but God will protect us and carry us in times of suffering.  There will also be times when we have needs, and rather than worry about them we should trust that God will provide those needs.

Now as an encouragement to young ladies living at home, this also made me think how as a woman, the world shouts at me to be a "lion", while God's still small voice whispers over and over that I need to be a "sheep".  The world promotes independence, while God wants us to be dependent on Him.  The world says to make something of yourself, follow your dreams, and you deserve a better life, downplaying the importance of being a keeper of the home.  Don't feel you're less important for staying home and serving your family.  God created you to be a helper!  If your dad is supportive of other ways to minister outside the home, do it, but if there are things you can busy yourself with at home be content where you are.  Being content with my present circumstances and not feeling like there is something more important I should be doing, is something that I am still learning and struggle with.  At the heart of the issue, is the desire for approval and acceptance, but I need to remember that God loves me just as I am and earning His approval, doing what He created me to be, is the best!  Know that you are important and precious in God's sight (Proverbs 3:15)! It doesn't matter what the world's definition of success is or what people think you should do or be. The relationship with our Creator is what is really important and doing His will for us, is all that matters. As has been quoted from the pulpit, "The Lord is my shepherd, that's all I need."

"Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you;..." 

Isaiah 43:4