Friday, June 19, 2026

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 1 | Philippians 2

Characteristics of God: He is a shepherd.

Written by King David, Psalm 23 is my favorite. As an experienced shepherd himself, David eloquently compares God to a good shepherd in this beautiful Psalm.

Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

This Psalm goes on to tell us more about how God, our shepherd, loves us so much that he gives us everything we need, providing for so much more than our physical needs. He would do anything to save us - even willingly sacrifice the life of his Son.

Jesus said in John 10:11:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for his sheep.”

God could have stopped there. Jesus’ sacrifice would have been more than enough. But, praise God, he loves us so much that he wants to do more than just save us. He wants us to live a life of abundance, filled with love, peace, joy, and hope.

He longs to renew and rejuvenate us. He wants to lead us along the right paths and give us the strength to accomplish his plans for our lives. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to act like unruly sheep, stubborn and not always wise in our ways.

Yet God, our good shepherd, loves us so much that he never stops trying to bring us back under his care. He not only values his whole flock but dearly loves every single sheep. He would leave the 99 sheep and stop at nothing to rescue the one that is lost (Matthew 18:12).

But our shepherd will never actually leave us - he is with us always. Through good times and bad, we can trust him to be faithful. He will protect and comfort us. 

As Psalm 23 says, our God, the King of kings, prepares a feast for us and honors us in front of our enemies. His blessings for us overflow, and his goodness and unfailing love will pursue us every day of our lives. 

One day, his sheep will be with him in heaven for all of eternity, but the choice is yours.

Will you follow our good Shepherd so that you can spend your eternity with him?

Questions:
How are you like a sheep?

Why do you need a Shepherd?

Next Steps: 
Read and meditate on Psalm 23. Read each verse, and praise God for the blessings within. Discuss with your Group or journal about what really stood out to you.

Prayer:
God, I am so thankful you are my Shepherd. My heart is filled with deep joy, peace, love, and gratitude because of you. You are amazing and deserving of my reverence and praise. Thank you for loving me and saving me. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:
Jeremiah 9:23-24a
This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord….”

Written by Marsha Raymond, an Oregon attendee and regular contributor to the Daily.