Lambs before Lions
Friday (October 17)
Lambs before Lions
Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
It makes perfect sense that a man who spent years of his life leading sheep to gentle streams and protecting them from predators and guiding them through dark valleys would think of his special relationship with the LORD through a shepherding lens, right? It’s what he knows best. Those days spent in silent meditation have left an impression on the deep well of his mind. But being a shepherd has been a tedious task. You can’t tell a stray sheep to “sit” or “stay” or “lie down” if it starts to misbehave. Sheep aren’t like dogs. And you can’t just let them wander around the neighborhood by themselves, trusting that even if you don’t see them for a few days, they’ll be able to find their way back. They aren’t like cats either. They require an ever-watchful eye and an ever-abiding presence from a faithful shepherd, because without that, sheep don’t have the instinct or the courage or the strength to make it on their own.
But that’s what strikes me about David’s analogy here in Psalm 23. Although the impetus is on God’s character as the Good Shepherd, on the ways in which He sacrificially leads and nourishes and protects and cares for His beloved children, there’s also a great deal of humility and even humiliation on the other side of the picture. For David to say, “The LORD is my Shepherd,” is also to make the humbling admission, “I’m just a sheep.” And to be a sheep is the least attractive and least interesting and least comforting thing he could be, right? David effectively puts on his crown and robe in the morning, looks at himself in the mirror before going about his kingly business, and doesn’t see a picture of powerful paws and strong jaws and a stately mane and a lionlike visage, but sees a little lamb instead. And it occurs to me that the only way we saints can find comfort in the words, “The LORD is my Shepherd,” is to first rest in the troubling fact that we are, at our best, just sheep.
Christian, in a world full of wannabe-lions fighting for supremacy, just be a little lamb before the LORD. You’ll have all you could ever need in His tender care.