Be Still And Know

READ: Psalm 23:1 NLT The Lord is my Shepherd. I will have everything I need. When I was a student minister I was given responsibility for a wonderful little Baptist church in rural Oxfordshire. It had eight members and the largest congregation I ever saw was 19. It was a great experience and the church secretary was a shepherd, by occupation. He loved to talk about his sheep and helped me to understand a great deal more about how challenging our woolly friends can be. But above all I came to realise that he really knew his sheep and he loved them as individuals. David was writing out of his own personal experience. Unlike my friend, David couldn’t go home at night. He cared for his sheep 24/7. He exposed himself to the threats of challenging weather, dangerous terrain, fierce wolves and sheep rustlers. He was totally committed to his sheep and he, better than anyone else, knew exactly what they needed. I am quite sure that, as a King, David often reflected on his earlier experiences as a shepherd and he knew