Episode 389: I’m Talkin…Shepherd

I’m Talkin’, episode 389 for September 28th, 2025.

This is Joel from the I’m Talkin’ microcast, where I share my thoughts on a topic that has piqued my interest this past week.

This week we’re talking shepherd.

Shepherd is a word that we don’t use all that much in today’s world.

Maybe in certain parts of the world, but us city dwellers, maybe we don’t use it very much.

I feel like it’s still an act of profession, that it’s maybe around the world.

You know, we came from the high desert, and there were times where sheep would come through.

I remember when I was a kid on my grandparents’ farm that we would see shepherds bringing their sheep through, and so I’ve still seen it, but oftentimes in today’s world, we talk of it as a concept, a leader or someone who is a mentor or bringing someone along, and therein lies the challenge for those of us who call ourselves Christians.

So today’s word comes again from Psalm 23, and I’m apparently not doing these in chronological order, but in the very first of the chapter it says, The Lord is my shepherd, I have all that I need.

I covered that all that I need in a previous one.

I want to talk about what it means with the Lord being our shepherd in that very first statement.

So I am by no means an expert on sheep, and I haven’t really read a lot about it, but one of the things that I do know is that from listening to many pastors, because shepherd in the Bible is often used, and we are the sheep as Christians, and we need that guidance.

That’s what we were talking about, the concept of someone leading someone along, and we hear about sheep not being all that bright, and they need that guidance.

But one of the things that I noticed is, you know, whether it’s in the movies and maybe it’s not correct, but even in my own experience on a small farm with my grandparents, sheep really require some quiet.

And you think about when you are herding cattle and other animals that you’re kind of making a bunch of noise to distract them, to move them in a given direction, and yet sheep get startled by that.

Oftentimes you’ll hear whips in the air when people are driving horses, for instance, and those loud noises would startle sheep, and I think they would scatter.

Again, I’m talking more than I know.

But the one thing I think is when you look at a shepherd, they’re often quiet, but they have a sense of leadership.

They have a staff to guide their sheep along, but they don’t use it to whack them on the head.

They use it as a guide along their sides to get them moving in the direction that the shepherd wants them to move in.

And so I think of that with God and us, and we’re saying, the Lord is my shepherd.

I have all that I need.

It means he’s guiding me along.

Later in Psalm 23, it says, I will not be afraid for you are close to me.

Your rod and staff, they protect and comfort me.

And that’s what we need as sheep.

And are we willing to submit and trust to Jesus being our shepherd and let him guide our lives on the correct paths?

It also says in Psalm 23, guiding me along the right paths, not exactly the same words, bringing honor to his name.

So submitting to Jesus Christ as the shepherd, we know he’s got a comfortable rod in his hand, something that will guide us along.

He’s not there to strike us down.

He’s there to love, protect, and guide.

Until next week, this is Joel from the I’m Talking microcast.