I’ve grown up in evangelical churches where pastors reminded the congregation frequently that we are sheep.  Sheep are stupid they say, sheep need so much help, they can’t do anything for themselves.  This is absolutely true, I don’t disagree with the comparison.  Jesus even calls his people sheep in the New Testament.  But have you ever read Psalm 23 while truly understanding the symbolism of sheep and their shepherd?  Have you stopped to consider the depth of feeling and expression that pours out from David who was a shepherd himself describing himself as a sheep under the Great Shepherd?

W. Phillip Keller wrote a little book that deepened the well of Psalm 23 for me.  As a shepherd with years of practical experience, Keller writes vividly and passionately about what it means to be a sheep.  He unpacks the symbolism verse by verse, phrase by phrase and gives the reader much to think about in each chapter.  This is not a theological treatise – there are not big fancy words and you will not come away feeling like you just read a doctoral thesis.  Rather, this little treasure of a book will cause you to run back to Psalm 23 to soak in the depth of its richness as you come to understand it on a more practical level.

Keller loved his sheep, it’s obvious in his writing.  Every chapter was a wealth of practical, careful, and applicable understanding of being a sheep as he compares Believers to sheep.  But what I found most comforting was the greater love of our Great Shepherd this book calls us to.  A good shepherd must be diligent, patient, compassionate, proactive, observant, careful, gentle, confidant, courageous, and protective.  There is much more to being a shepherd than keeping the sheep in a quiet circle in some nice grass.  But for those of us who have no shepherding experience, understanding the full depths of God and Christ as our Great Shepherd can fall flat and come up short.  If you read this sweet little book, you will know your Great Shepherd better.  I love my Great Shepherd even more knowing better the beautiful nuances of His care for me as His sheep.

Take some time to find a copy of this good book, dear reader!  You’ll be greatly blessed in reading it.