When I was in high school, my parents took our family to Israel. The collision of histories, sights, languages, and beliefs stretched my world.

Shepherding is still an important way of life in Israel. It’s common to see a shepherd taking his flock from one place to another. However, unlike the sheep herding I had seen back home in Texas (where a rancher on horseback typically drove the sheep forward), there the shepherd walks ahead of the sheep—leading the way. If something dangerous lies ahead, the shepherd faces it first. The sheep don’t have to worry about where they’re going. They simply follow in safety.

Emerging from this same culture and practice, the psalmist used this imagery of the shepherd to remind us of what God is like. Psalm 23 (one of the best-known passages of Scripture) reminds us that our concerns and well-being are in the Shepherd’s hands. Because the Lord is our Shepherd, we “have all that [we] need” (Psalm 23:1).

This Good Shepherd leads, renews, and guides us (Psalm 23:2-3). Nearly all of the initiative in Psalm 23 is the Shepherd’s, not ours. Most of the responsibility is on the Shepherd, not us. The Shepherd shows the way, and we follow.

To be sure, this doesn’t mean that we will avoid all trouble or danger in life. Rather, it means that even on those occasions when we must walk “through the darkest valley,” we have no reason to fear because the Good Shepherd is “close beside [us]” (Psalm 23:4). I find that a good bit of my anxiety comes from believing that I have to be the shepherd. But I don’t. God is the only Shepherd we will ever need.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Ephesians 4:1-16