In Psalm 23:1 God proclaims his protection in full measure! “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” But what about when you’re stuck in peril, in pain, with no rescue in sight? Where’s the Shepherd?

An American journalist traveled overseas to observe a shepherd in Palestine. The writer watched in amazement as the shepherd provided for all the needs of his beloved sheep. Suddenly, one sheep wandered off. The shepherd searched hurriedly, only to discover it had fallen off a cliff and landed on a small section of rock about 6 feet down. The outcropping was narrow, with the valley floor 40 feet below. 

The shepherd backed up calmly from the cliff and sat down to eat his lunch while the sheep bellowed below. 

Eventually the journalist asked through an interpreter what the shepherd was doing. “That sheep is so scared,” he replied. “If I go rescue it now, it will slip off the edge to its death. I’m protecting it from predators who also hear its cries. When the sheep is exhausted, I will rescue it.” 

The Lord is your Shepherd. You might be wondering where his rescue is. You have not been forgotten. Jesus is protecting you from the attack of Satan, who is prowling around you. When the timing is right, the rescue will come. It comes on God’s timetable, in God’s way, but always for your good.