May 21, 2025
We just returned from a "bucket list" trip with our very dear friends to Morocco. It was totally amazing! The countryside, landscape, and scenery were some of the prettiest I have ever seen.
One thing I noticed was the number of sheep that we saw grazing in each location we traveled. It seemed like everywhere I looked, there were flocks of sheep. I don't remember ever seeing that many sheep in different places, locations, and situations.
As I noticed the sheep, I also noticed the shepherd. In every flock and in every situation, there was always a shepherd. God really spoke to my heart over some of these locations of the sheep and the shepherd.
One of the first flocks I noticed was one where the shepherd had the sheep crossing the highway in the middle of a city. I am not kidding. There had to have been at least 40-50 sheep, and the shepherd was directing them across a busy street in town. He made sure they all got across, and at times he had them running across the street. He did not move on to the front until the last sheep had crossed the road. He made sure each one was safely to the other side. He put aside his own safety to protect his sheep.
It made me think of the times in my life when there is so much "stuff" going on in my life that I feel like I am on a busy highway. Sometimes I am so overwhelmed by the challenges of this life that I feel like I am dodging cars or close to stalling in the middle of the road. I have so much on my mind that I can easily get distracted. It could be problems at home, finances, sickness, relationships, and many other things.
I have to remember to search, listen, and follow the voice of my shepherd. He can lead me to safety and calm my busy thoughts, but I have to be willing to focus and listen to God's voice. He is my good shepherd. John 10:14 says, "I (God) am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." When things are chaotic, and you are crossing busy streets, listen and follow your shepherd.
Another scenario I witnessed with the sheep was totally different. We were in the mountains, and there were fields of rocky landscape. There would be patches of grass scattered among the rocks. There was a flock of sheep and a shepherd in the midst of all of this terrain. What I noticed was that the shepherd would lead four or five sheep to each grassy patch scattered around so they could feed. He had them all spread out, but they all had grass, and he never took his eyes off of them.
It made me think of times in our lives when we might be struggling. My mind goes to the times when we have experienced hardships and struggled financially. There were times when I am sure I felt like I could not even see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, just like the shepherd led those sheep to patches of grass, God was always faithful and provided for us in the sparse seasons.
I had to remind myself not to overlook even the smallest ways that He would provide for our family. My shepherd provided all my needs. Just like the shepherd in the field led his sheep and provided food in the grassy patches, God will do the same for us.
When times are sparse and you wonder how you are going to make it, look and be aware of how our good Shepherd provides what you need. It might not always be your "wants" but we can trust God with our anxieties and worries about our needs.
The last mental picture I will share with you was one of complete peace. There was a flock of sheep resting on a hillside under some trees. Some were eating, but most were resting. At first glance, I did not see the shepherd. I soon spotted him. He was actually sitting on a low limb in the tree that the sheep were under. Even though they were resting, he was still watching over them.
It was a beautiful picture to me of how God, our good shepherd, watches over us. In Psalms 121, the Bible says He watches over us and does not sleep. There is great security in knowing God is always watching. I can put my fears aside because God is there and He oversees every situation. Peace can be ours if we trust the One who is watching over us.
This was an amazing trip, and I am so grateful I was able to go. I am also so thankful that I was able to see the pictures of the shepherd and the sheep. I feel like once again God reminded me that He will be there no matter if I am living in calm or chaos, struggling financially or have enough, awake or resting, or just trying to navigate the ups and downs of this life. He IS the Good Shepherd.
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Jill Johnson, a staff member at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother and Georgian. She is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
