In last week’s post we looked at the name Jehovah Jireh, which
means The Lord Provides. Jehovah-Rohi, the
Lord is Our Shepherd is similar, but, in my opinion, encompasses even more. A shepherd provides for his sheep but he also
leads them and protects them.
He does it because they can’t lead themselves
without getting into trouble. Phillip Keller, in his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, tells us that sheep need attention and
meticulous care. They have a mob mentality and move about in herds. They can
only see what’s right in front of them—more sheep!
They can’t see their surroundings. Only
the shepherd can. There may be predators, or natural hazards, like a cliff for
example, that the sheep must stay away from in order to avoid injury or even
death. Only the shepherd can see the bigger picture and guide them safely where
they need to go.
A good shepherd guides, leads, and
protects his flock but he also gives them everything they need. Each day he leads them to clean water and pastures
to satisfy their thirst and need for food. Only the shepherd knows where this
is. Because he leads, protects, and
takes care of their needs, he sheep trust him.
They even recognize his voice and will not follow another shepherd they
don’t know.
We are the same with God,
Jehovah-Rohi. God sees the big picture
in our lives. He leads us, protects us if we head his direction, and takes care
of our needs. Just as the sheep trust their shepherd, we can trust the Good
Shepherd. There are obstacles and hazards we have to negotiate in our lives,
but we don’t have to do it alone. God has promised to walk with us every step
of our journey in life if we’ll follow him.
How have you seen God lead you,either recently or in the past? What difference has it made? Share it here so we can encourage each other.
