“As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep.” // Ezekiel 34:12

I’ll admit I spent thirty minutes researching sheep for this devotional. "What are the characteristics of sheep?" I typed into Google.

Turns out that sheep are not simply passive, unintelligent, or timid creatures, but incredible animals with their own complex personalities. Sheep have the ability to distinguish and recognize the voice and face of their shepherd. They are also “flock” animals that thrive in community. They can feel emotions, such as optimism and pessimism, based on their experiences . . . the list goes on.

It’s wild, sometimes, how a simple (and silly, so it seemed) Google search can open our eyes, hearts and minds to a deeper understanding of who God is as our own Shepherd.

We are His sheep—individual, unique, complex. We can distinguish and recognize His promptings in our lives when we take the time to rest in His holy presence. We seek relationships with those around us as we press on in the direction He desires us to go.

But who is the Shepherd?

He is Christ the King, the sacrificial Lamb of God. He understands what it means to be one of the flock, to be obedient to the Father, to follow the path set before Him, to trust that all that He encounters is ultimately for the Glory of God. He went before us as an example, the first Lamb among us. And He goes before us now, as our Shepherd—the one in whom we can follow with all of who we are, believing with confidence that where He leads, He leads to care for us and provide for us, and see to it that we are always found and brought back to the fold.

Jesus, thank You for loving me and leading me as Your little sheep. Thank You for being a Shepherd who deeply knows and understands all of my intricacies. Be with me today as Christ my King and lead me where You will.