The Good Shepherd
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalms 23:1
During my daughter’s veterinary internship at Aurora, IL, I visited her from Alabama. First, I had to drive to Georgia. There, I took a flight from the Atlanta Hartfield International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport. When I arrived, I rented a car to travel to her apartment in Aurora. Of course, traffic and my unfamiliarity with the route will make this drive unbearable and challenging. However, the car that I rented had a navigation system. I opened this application and inputted her address, and within seconds, I knew exactly where I was going, including the estimated arrival time. Have you ever wondered how did we get around without GPS?
When David writes Psalms 23, he remembered tending sheep as a young shepherd, and he penned the first verse as The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. When the Apostle John recorded Jesus' dialogue with followers and religious leaders in chapter 10 of the Gospel of John, I'm sure everyone felt like they were listening to David's song because Jesus paints a similar picture using the example of a shepherd.
First, Jesus emphasizes that I am the door. This door is the gateway into the sheepfold or the pen that houses the sheep. Only the shepherd could access the sheep through this gate. Any other who accessed the sheepfold by a different means had no valid interest in the sheep. Secondly, he states that I am the Good Shepherd. Remember, as soon as the shepherd enters the pen; he addresses each sheep by name. He knows them, and they know him. Then shepherd gathers the sheep in folds and leads them to the best pastures for food while protecting them from predators. So, the shepherd loves, provides, and protects his sheep.
I compare the shepherd’s provision for the sheep to the necessity of a GPS when traveling. When I got in that rental car in Chicago, I only had an address. I had no directions and no knowledge of how to get there. I did not know the location of gas stations when I needed gas as I drove there. I did not know how many miles I had to go. I did not know the quickest route or the route with less traffic. I didn't know if the road was under construction and if I would need to detour. Also, I was closer to my daughter than when I was in Alabama, but my arrival at the Chicago airport raised many unknown concerns. Yet, I felt relief when I plugged my daughter's address into this GPS, and this system calculated a route to travel. In the end, I was able to drive to my destination with the clarity I needed, including the answers to all my unknown questions.
Therefore, when Jesus states, I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. What He is asking for is access to our well-being. He wants us to place all our trust in Him because He knows what to do. Remember, the shepherd knows his sheep, and his sheep knows him. The same is true when we let Jesus know us so we can know Him. As easy as trusting a GPS when we go somewhere unfamiliar, we can trust Jesus' love, provision, and protection in our lives too. Remember, exercise the same confidence level in Jesus as you have in the GPS. Then, we will understand what King David meant when he wrote, "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want."
When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.,
John 10:4