Jehovah Rohi

Psalm 23:1 (NIV) —

‘The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.’

Jehovah Rohi - The Lord is our Shepherd.

On our family trip to Zambia, we decided to make the long journey from Lusaka to Livingstone (about an 8-hour drive). There were 12 of us travelling in a minibus, the air con was questionable, and the high hunger levels were evident. We had a restaurant in mind to stop at, and our impatience led us to ignore the driver and proceed with google maps off the main road. After fifteen minutes, the next thing we heard was ‘You have arrived at your destination’, whilst our bus stopped in the middle of a corn field with nothing surrounding us.

We did eventually make it to the restaurant but only after we had asked several locals to get us a bit further on the journey and point us in the right direction. It’s funny that there was a point where we had more trust in a map than the knowledge of the people living in the area, those who walk and are familiar with its roads every day.

So often we attempt to take things into our own hands, and then find ourselves in situations that aren’t expected. We forget that we have a shepherd who knows life’s terrain. Who can guide and protect us. There is so much freedom in knowing that we are following a trustworthy God -One that makes it his mission to guide us and lead us away from harm. We forget that to God nothing is a surprise; he knows the end from the beginning.

In a world that is constantly looking for direction Psalm 23:1 is a reminder to be grateful that we have a shepherd - and to be people who, by our life and our words, point others to him.

Reflect: Take a moment today to remember how the Lord has guided you through your life.