“But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.” (Psalm 79:13)
Psalm 79:13 describes God’s people as “the sheep of his pasture.” This conjures up peaceful images of rolling hills dotted with fluffy white sheep. And that is good, as far as it goes. It is a picture of peace with God. But there is so much more here too.
It tells us that we are his. We belong to God. And God will not lose those who are His (John 10:27-30). He will not carelessly misplace us or forget about us or trade us in or anything else that lets us out of his hand. We are his, forever. So when we feel anxious or afraid or like we are abandoned, remember we are God’s.
It also locates us in God’s kingdom and under his care and authority. We are the sheep of his pasture. This world is his. No part of it is outside his loving care and control. We are near God, located with God. Sometimes it seems like we are in the wilderness, surrounded by threats on all sides. But remember, we are in God’s pasture under his loving, watchful gaze.
Today you can trust that God is watching over you. You are never outside his reach or his gaze. And he cares for you as your loving shepherd.
I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe!
Photo by Sam Carter on Unsplash
