Finding Comfort in the Good Shepherd: A Guided Reflection

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” —John 10:11

I was recently asked what the Lord has been teaching me about himself. As I reflected on this, I noticed I have been learning that he is a shepherd, and a shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. He cares for them with all his being, to the point of death. Jesus gave so many practical examples and metaphors to help us understand what it looks like to live out our walk with God in our daily lives. This made me consider my own.

Well… I have been blessed with the gift of motherhood and three of my own little lambs: my four-year-old, two-year-old, and six-month-old little girls. Each day has called for a laying down of self for each of them as I care for, feed, and tend to their needs. It feels that with each child you have, you learn this laying down, this sacrificial love, more deeply. You begin to learn about each one, their individual tendencies, and what they may be hiding behind their “wool.” Sheep tend to hide their ailments under their wool, so it takes care and intentionality by a shepherd to look beneath and see what’s really affecting them. That’s so much of what we do as parents, tending to our children’s needs. 

Our Good Shepherd

Our Father in Heaven does the same for us. While it may feel like there is less time to tend and care for yourself as a parent in this time, he is near and holding you dear to his heart. He is checking your ailments, checking your places of pain, and looking to comfort and heal those wounds. He is looking to give you rest, and possibly in a different way than you imagined, but one thing is true: He is a good shepherd. 

With the image of a shepherd in mind, I want to guide you through a reflection on some Bible passages. As you read, consider what comes to mind for you and how the image communicated in that verse might impact your experience. Jot down your thoughts in a notebook or simply find stillness to process these verses and questions. 

A Reflection on Isaiah 40:11

First, a passage from Isaiah: 

“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.”
—Isaiah 40:11

Just as we mothers or fathers care for our sheep, our Great Shepherd, Jesus, intentionally cares for and sees our needs. He knows what is behind our wool, our coping techniques, and how we mask our pains. He holds us close to his heart.

• In what areas do you feel you need the shepherd's comfort in your life? Where do you feel he needs to hold you close? 

• If Jesus were holding you close, what wounds would he find? What are some things you may be hiding behind your wool? What are practical steps you can take to begin caring for yourself? 

A Reflection on Psalm 131:2-3

Next, a Psalm:

“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.”
—Psalm 131:2-3

Everyone can resonate with this verse whether or not you’re a parent. There are pains, worries, suffering, and difficult circumstances that cause us to feel like a fussy infant. We desire the comfort of our loving Father, and we usually want an immediate answer to our prayer requests or life’s questions. Our souls are restless within us from the buzzing world and the anxieties of the day.

But remember… He knows you, just as a shepherd knows his flock. Consider how a mother holds her crying child, soothing, patting, caressing, kissing, singing, feeding, hugging—all to calm her baby. A mother will do everything to calm her child. What if God were offering that affection to you? 

• What does it look like to quiet your soul today? What areas feel especially restless in your life right now? 

• What choices are you making to distract yourself from truly calming and caring for your soul?

A Centering Song

Lastly, I’ll share a song that inspired the reflections of this article: “Like A Child With Its Mother (Psalm 131)” by Caroline Cobb (feat. Jess Ray).

Be held by your precious Father in Heaven when it feels like you can’t make it another day without sleep. 

Like a child with a mother, he is looking to comfort you.

He sees the wounds. 

He sees the pain. 

Rest in His arms. 

If you will, allow him to hold you, rest in His everlasting peace that is free to you.