Observation: God promises to shepherd the people of Israel, to protect them from "wild animals," meaning hostile and tyrannous nations or leaders, and to feed them "splendid vegetation" so they will no longer go hungry.
Application: It's a good thing that God is our true shepherd, because human beings have never been any good at it. Oh, we're plenty good at ordering each other around, and imposing our will on others. But in terms of leading and ordering our society in such a way that all are safe, fed, sheltered and able to prosper, not so much. After reading reports of over a hundred thousand killed on either side of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, after wondering if we can steward the planet well enough to support my great grandchildren, after watching leaders in the most prosperous nation in history bicker back and forth about whether we should pay our bills, I know we need a better shepherd. And while we're waiting for the fullness of God's promise for the world, God can still shepherd in our hearts.
Prayer: Lead our souls, Good Shepherd. We are wandering in a dangerous and afraid land. Show us the abundance of a life guided by you. Amen.
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