Katey Hawkins
Read Psalm 23, please 🙂
“In order for the Lord to be our shepherd, we must first allow ourselves to become sheep.” – Brielle Engle
Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved scriptural passages. We quote it, sing it, and return to it often as a picture of the character of Jesus. But Psalm 23 is not only a declaration about who God is; it is also an invitation into who we are meant to be. For the Lord to be our Shepherd, we must be willing to take our place in the story – not just admiring the Shepherd but learning how to be led.
If we are honest, most of the time we are trying our best to lead ourselves. Or worse, we are letting fear, anxiety, guilt, and expectations shepherd us. All our lives require us to shepherd something, and somewhere along the way, we can forget that while we may be called to lead others, we are still meant to be led. Before we realize it, we’ve snatched the rod and staff from Jesus and placed them into the hands of fear, anxiety, guilt, and expectation – letting those voices lead us in whatever direction feels most urgent.
If I were to sum up this year, it would feel like the opposite of Psalm 23. Chaos instead of stillness. Spiritual drought instead of green pastures. I have not allowed myself to be led; I have taken control instead, only to find myself pushed forward by fear rather than guided by trust.
The problem is not that the Shepherd has been absent. Perhaps it is that I have been listening to too many other voices.
To become sheep is not to become passive or irresponsible. It is to recognize that we were never meant to lead ourselves. Sheep do not scan the horizon for danger, calculate the. path forward, or decide when enough is enough. They listen. They follow. They trust the shepherd to know when it is safe to lie down and when it is time to move.
So how do we become sheep?
Maybe becoming sheep is not about striving harder, but about preparing our hearts for a new season of devotion. Before the Lord leads us forward, He invites us to be set apart – to slow down, to listen, to identify what has been driving us, and to surrender it back to Him. Becoming sheep may begin with noticing who or what has been holding the rod and staff in our lives.
As we step into a new season, we are reminded that rest is not a reward for finishing the work; it is a response to trusting the Shepherd. Green pastures are not something we achieve; they are something the Shepherd has already provided, and we receive them when we recognize we are safe and trust that we already have enough in Him.
Listening prompt
– Who or what has been shepherding my decisions, pace, and priorities instead of You?
– Where am I resisting rest because I am not trusting Your lead?
– What would it look like for me to enter this new season led by You?
– What do You want me to know about You as my Shepherd?
