I recall a time I was driving our five kids home after buying school uniforms from a place I’d never been to before in an unfamiliar city. The GPS repeatedly sent us on the same loop, exasperating the kids and unleashing panic because Mom was not able to guide them home.
Not so with God! He calls Himself shepherd in the Old Testament. He gently leads those with young. Shepherds guide, protect, nourish, and correct. Maybe it is not surprising to us, then, that the first recipients of the Christmas news were the shepherds in the fields.
Jesus also said of Himself, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). This is not a trivial statement. He is identifying with the sovereign LORD of the Old Testament, Yahweh Himself. God calls His people “the flock of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3). When we follow Jesus’ lead, we are the recipients of His tender care, loving sacrifice, guidance, and at times even of His discipline. We can surely trust Him.