Frederick Buechner said:
“We all have such moments to point to [holy moments of grace], but how easily they get lost in the random clutter and busyness of things.”
I know we all “know” this, but we so easily forget.
God does wonderful things in our lives—sometimes they are outright miracles—but in the busyness of our lives, with their daily frustrations, irritations, problems, and fears, we lose sight that God is with us and is a wise, good, faithful and loving Shepherd.
“The Lord is my Shepherd” is not just something to quote during times of sorrow, or a phrase to add to a greeting card to somehow “help make us feel better.” God, as our Shepherd, is a metaphor that runs through both the Old Testament as well as the New and is meant to help open the eyes of our hearts to see one aspect of who God is and how much he loves us and will guide us no matter what may be happening in our lives right now.
As we remember all the evidences of His love from the past, it can help turn our hearts back to gratitude and trust, and it can help us rest in our Good Shepherd who wants, right in the midst of our difficulties, to take us to quiet waters and green pastures.