Be My Shepherd

A Reflection on the Psalm for May 3rd, 2020:
Fourth Sunday of Easter

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Psalm 23

R. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.

R. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff — they comfort me.

R. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup over-flows.

R. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

R. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
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Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

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​At times, I can be a very stubborn sheep. 


Sometimes, I think I am a sheep that can fend for itself and take all of the control into its own hands ( ...or hooves, I guess). But, as I foolishly try to lead myself through the tricky paths of life, the Lord still watches over me and will never cease to do so. 


But, in order to be a good sheep, I have to trust the Lord to lead me down the path that He wills for me. And, especially now, in these confusing, lonely, and sad times, it can be really hard to have that trust that I need. 


Lately, I have been struggling with what my “next move” should be. With my third year of university at an end, I am nearing the final year of my degree, with more applications for more schooling just around the corner. Most nights I lie awake thinking about the various questions I need to have answered very soon. Which masters program would be best to take before medical school? Which masters program should I be in if medical school doesn’t work out? What am I actually even interested in? What will be the most fulfilling? Yeesh, I’m getting a stress headache just writing out those questions. And now, with all the time in the world to worry, I’ve been doing a lot of that. Until recently, I hadn’t even realized that I was putting all of this unnecessary pressure on myself. Hence, the many stress headaches and sleeping troubles. I seem to forget in the most important times that God has a plan for me. He wants to lead me down a path, and I need to listen. I need to let Him be my Shepherd. 


Recently, I was being prayed over via a Zoom call, after expressing my difficulties with trust and discernment during this time. What I was told during the prayer really impacted me. The lovely woman praying over me asked God that He may reveal His plan to me, even if it is only just in pieces. Even just one piece in that puzzle would be so amazing. After hearing this, it made me feel silly that I have not really thought about this before; to pray for pieces to the puzzle. Unfortunately, God will not always hand us our answers in full, all wrapped up in a clean bow, but He will never desert us. We will always be able to complete the puzzle if we remain by His side; remain listening, and remain trusting. 


The Lord wants us to ask for these pieces, but we need to trust Him in order to see them. He wants to lead us down His path, one step at a time. He wants to restore us and strengthen us. He wants us to be free in knowing that our identity is in Him, and that through Him we will know our true path in His perfect will. 


Let the Lord be your Shepherd. 


Let us pray that even in these tough times, we will have the courage and trust to be guided by the Lord. Amen. ​​




Megan Noye

Photo by Sam Kuhn on Unsplash

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