On Being Sheep, & Fully Trusting In Our Good Shepherd
We’re officially one month out from baby boy’s due date, and you could say that things are starting to feel real. Like…really real.
It feels like this whole pregnancy has been one (very) long string of things to process…
Changing body…let’s process that.
Human being growing in my womb…not sure how to process that, but I’ll try.
Human being hiccuping in my womb…a sweet distraction from the processing.
The upcoming pain of labor…
The preparation required for being away from work for 12 weeks…
The pregnancy brain that made its grand entrance at Week 34 (don’t try to explain complex things to me right now)…
And just the reality that Jordan’s and my lives will look very different by the end of next month.
But alas, in all things—in all seasons—the Lord is teaching me and growing me.
Today, He brought me back to a verse that, ironically enough, I was meditating on while Jordan and I were trying to get pregnant in the first place…
We’d been trying to conceive for about three months at this point, and I’d just gotten my period—again. After the initial heart drop of sadness, the Holy Spirit sweetly placed this verse on my heart…
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” —Proverbs 3:5-6
The peace that followed was palpable.
I was reminded not to rely on my own timeline or my own shortsighted human understanding of things (i.e., “Why didn’t I get pregnant on the first try?!”).
And I was reminded that His timeline and His purpose are far greater than my own. He is literally the Creator of the universe…an ALL-KNOWING God who knows what’s best for us. Why should I think that my ways are better?
Now fast-forward almost a year later…
Has my trust wavered a thousand-and-one times?
Yes.
As soon as we found out we were pregnant, a whole new set of fears arose. And as I near the due date—and the impending pain of labor that people keep telling me about—new fears continue to arise.
Nancy Wilson blatantly calls this anti-trust. On her podcast episode, Trusting the Lord Through Change, she says:
“Trusting means we’re putting all our weight, all our cares, [and] our lives at His disposal to do as He pleases. And if we do this, we’re able—by His grace—to let go of worry…because worry is anti-trust. Worry is the only option when we’re trusting in ourselves.”
Which begs the question…
How do we start trusting God more than our current set of circumstances, emotions, or suffering?
My guess?
Be like sheep.
The Hebrew word for “trust”—bāṭaḥ—carries the idea of putting your FULL weight on something, like leaning on a staff that must hold your entire weight. It’s not partial or cautious—it’s total reliance.
No wonder Scripture weaves “the Lord is our shepherd” imagery all throughout the Bible…we as sheep couldn’t survive without a shepherd!
In ancient Israel, sheep literally depended on their shepherd for everything: protection, food, water, direction, even survival. They weren’t clever animals—they needed someone stronger to lean on.
Sounds a lot like me. I’m not as clever, strong, or self-sufficient as I think I am.
But in my own humanness, I forget this. And those are the days I end up depleted, discouraged, and in despair.
So let me ask you: How would your life change if you woke up each day knowing you were a sheep?
If you woke up and just KNEW that you couldn’t survive the day without the Lord?
If you woke up and just knew that you didn’t have it all together (and never would)?
If you woke up and just knew that you served a God—a loving, all-knowing, always-present shepherd—that you can rely on for ALL things: marriage, parenthood, health, family, friendships, work, hobbies, money, food, your home, spreading the gospel…
Sure, the outward appearance of your situation may look the same, but your internal state—your soul—would feel a peace that only the Lord can deliver…a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
Because you’d be putting your trust in Him and His promises, rather than your present circumstance, mood, financial state, health, relationship status, workload, or [fill in the blank].
So, as sheep, how should we respond?
It’s simple, and also humbling…
Sheep don’t navigate by themselves. They follow.
Sheep don’t fight off wolves. They rely on the shepherd.
Sheep don’t provide their own food and water. They’re led to it.
To trust is to admit dependence, to stop pretending we’re self-sufficient, and to rest our full weight on the Shepherd’s strength.
This is how we can go about our days.
Some scripture to meditate on…
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” —Psalm 23:1-4
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” —John 10:11
“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
