The Lord is Your Shepherd

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On a cool autumn morning in Madrid, downtown traffic stops. Shopkeepers lean in their doorways. Phones come out. Down the middle of the city rolls hundreds, sometimes thousands of sheep. Bells clink and hooves tap on the cobblestones, and a few trained dogs work the edges.

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Real shepherds are leading their flocks along ancient migration paths to winter pasture. It looks out of place. I mean, wool in a sea of concrete. The streets are noisy and confusing.

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What do the sheep do when the city crowds in? Well, they stay close to the shepherd. They follow his steps. They listen for his voice and move at his pace while the dogs nudge them back while they drift.

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That's Psalm 23 and John 10.

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You may feel like you're walking through noise you never chose and emails and headlines, decisions and pressure, but your shepherd isn't shouting from a distance. He's a few different ways of walking through a distance. He's out front, steady and counting and calling you by name.

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Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger, and today we're looking at one of the most comforting pictures in all of Scripture.

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In a noisy world, he leads and restores, while he protects you.

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Psalm 23, verses 1 through 3 says, And Jesus echoes that in John chapter 10, verse 14, where he says, I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me. about what those sheep in Madrid were doing. They weren't studying traffic patterns or worrying about which way to turn, and they weren't stressing over which crosswalk was the safest.

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They had just one job, stay close to the shepherd. And his job was everything else. He was the one guiding them and watching, all the while protecting them from danger. Now, that's the picture David paints in Psalm 23. The Lord isn't just a shepherd. He is your shepherd.

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He knows your name, your pace, and he knows what your limits are. And so, he doesn't drive you with fear. He leads you with his voice, and he doesn't just point you towards still waters.

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He actually takes you there.

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Jesus says in John 10 that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Now, that's not a hired hand who runs when trouble comes. That's a shepherd who stands between you and danger, And it's the shepherd who gave his life at the cross so you could live forever with your father in heaven. And here's the reality. Life is noisy. The news cycle shouts, and the inboxes pile up. The path in front of you feels uncertain, but your shepherd hasn't abandoned you in the middle of it. He's always steady. His care is personal.

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And he is leading you where you need to go. So, when you don't know the way, don't worry. You don't have to map out the whole city. Just stay near his voice.

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One step at a time, and he'll lead you through whatever life brings your way. Now, take five minutes a day. Just five. And sit quietly with Psalm 23, and read it slowly. Read it phrase by phrase. And with each line, how about whispering back to God, Father, I trust you to shepherd me in this. Lord, thank you that you are not distant, but a shepherd who knows me by name.

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In the noise of my day, teach me to stay near your voice. When I wander, bring me back. When I'm weary, restore my soul.

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give. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Thanks for joining me today on Daily Devotions for Busy Lives.

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Remember, the shepherd knows your name and walks right in front of you. Stay close to his voice. So, come back next time for more encouragement to help you live grounded in God's truth.

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Until then, God bless, and have a great day.