The LORD is my Shepard, I shall not want.

Psalm 23 starts off, "The LORD is my Shepard, I shall not want." It was one of the first Bible verses I was made to memorize as a child. I often wondered why Jesus always referred to Himself as a Shepard. Over the years I have learned more and more about what a Shepard did and there have been some amazing revelations Jesus has given me.

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Psalm 23 also says, "Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." The rod part I get, it was used to ward or beat off wild beast that came to steal the lambs and carrying them off to certain death. But how was the staff a comfort? It's that one you usually see pictured that has a hook on it. The staff was used to bring way-ward sheep back. So if the sheep wandered too far off, the Shepard used the hook on the staff to bring the sheep back closer the Himself, where there was safety.

But sometimes, the Shepard would have a sheep that would stray too far, too often.

At this point other measures had to be taken to insure the sheep’s safety. The Shepard would actually take the sheep and break on of it legs: Yes on purpose. This would render the sheep unable to move about, and as you know, a Shepard was constantly on the move for pastures that would feed the flock.

Now you may think it was cruel what the Shepard did to the sheep. After all, he hadn't gotten into that much trouble, he simply wandered off a few too many times, but always the sheep thought he would be alright and could come back. However that is not where the Shepard wanted the sheep. He wanted him near Him. So after the Shepard broke the sheep's leg, He would then take the sheep and place him over His shoulder so that the sheep's body was startled and the sheep's heart was right over the Shepherd's.

As the Shepard walked on the hilly countryside, the constant movement would cause the sheep pain; after all his leg was broken.

So the sheep, not being able to stop the movement, would learn to sync up with the Shepherd's movement, even down to His heartbeat. The sheep would become so in sync with the Shepard that the pain soon disappeared and the sheep could clearly hear the Shepard talking with him and giving him the life-saving instructions about how to never stray too far away from the Shepherd again.

My life was like that, I was that wayward sheep that just kept getting a little too far away.

Then one day my Shepard, Jesus, came along and broke my leg. He carried me upon His shoulder, and it was just me and Him. I learned to sync up with His heartbeat, and while I don't have everything down perfect yet, I know how not to stray too far from the safety that My Shepard provides me.

Today I thank Jesus for breaking my leg, and making me to sync up with His heartbeat. And in me, the beat goes on!