The following article is an excerpt from the book Jesus Now by Frank Viola Author
Ownership
“The LORD is my shepherd …”
The quality of a sheep’s life depends mostly on the kind of shepherd who takes care of it. If the shepherd is selfish and neglectful, the sheep will suffer. If the shepherd is watchful and caring, the sheep will thrive.
We have the greatest shepherd in the universe: Jesus Christ. He gave His own precious life for you, His sheep. You can’t get more unselfish and caring than that. And He continues to care for you as a shepherd.
In fact, God created sheep and shepherds to show us the relationship we have with Jesus. Think about it. It’s all an image and a shadow of something more real.
Sheep require human care to survive. They are the most needy and dependent of all animals. They are incapable of caring for themselves. God created them to require enormous attention.
In the Middle Ages, one of the most common metaphors for the “Divine Right to Rule” was relating the king to being a shepherd and the peasants to being sheep. It was said that ordinary people needed the “blue-bloods” to guide and direct them. It wasn’t until Jaques Rousseau and the French Revolution that this logic was challenged. Rousseau’s argument went something like this: we are all sheep, and our Lord isn’t someone else—it’s actually Christ Himself.
Unlike many of the cruel and exacting rulers of the world, Jesus is a shepherd who enjoys caring for you. So much so that He calls you His own.
Old Testament shepherds would mark the ears of their sheep to show who owned them. In the same way, Jesus has put His mark on you. He’s “marked you” from the foundation of the world and called you His own (Eph. 1:4–5).
Having bought you with the price of His own blood, Jesus is the rightful “Guardian” of your soul.
For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. (1 Pet. 2:25)
Supply
“I shall not want …”
This statement indicates that the Lord’s sheep are not lacking anything. There are no deficiencies.
How does this work out in real life, you might ask? This statement asks us to believe that whatever we need is in the care of our shepherd and He will supply it. It may not come in the form we expect or wish, but He will eventually meet the need.
There’s an interesting story in which a woman dreamed that she went to heaven. To her astonishment, paradise was depicted as a grocery store. When she went to the cash register, she discovered that it was God himself sitting behind the counter.
God pleasantly asked her what her heart’s desire was. She really didn’t know, so she began to dream out loud. She wished a better life for herself, for her friends, and for the friends of her friends. She asked for the solution to world suffering and an end all wars.
The woman continued to wish for orphanages, half-way houses, and schools … until she noticed God smirking. Stopping, she asked what was so funny. His reply was simple: “Oh my child—I’m sorry, this really isn’t that kind of store. We’re not a produce stand. We’re a seed shop!”
God isn’t in the business of supplying our wish-dreams Rather, He equips us with the seeds to abundance, supplying our needs as He knows, which is often different than what we might imagine.
The truth is, the good shepherd casts a watchful eye over His sheep to make sure they are loved and cared for. Even when they are asleep, He watches over them. He wants His sheep to come to Him if they have a deficiency, trusting that He will meet it.
Total dependence and trust are what He is after. The biblical word for these things is faith.