1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

— Psalm 23:1-2, 4

28b … No one can snatch them out of My hand.

29 My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

— John 10:28b-29

Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”

— John 10:10a

11 For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out.

12 As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

— Ezekiel 34:11-12

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace and mercy of Christ be with you!

Sheep are completely helpless against their enemies. And in Judea and Samaria of Israel the number one enemy of sheep has always been and continues to be the wolf. The Bible describes wolves as being savage and ferocious. When a sheep encounter a wolf all by itself, it has no chance at all to not fall prey to wolves. This reality raises an important question, “How is it that helpless sheep are protected from wolves?” Wolves are afraid of people! The only thing that protects sheep from wolves is that they are in the presence of a human shepherd.

In the Old Testament time, King David used to be a shepherd taking care of his father’s flocks. He wrote about his own relationship with the LORD his Shepherd in Psalm 23 : “The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters.” And David continued, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me.” In other words, David is not scared of his enemies because he is in the presence of the LORD, his Shepherd.