Under His Care: A 52-Week Journey with the Shepherd

Week 2 — Provision: The Shepherd Who Sustains You

Psalms 23:1–2

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

Scripture Focus

• Primary: Psalm 23:1–2

• Supporting: Matthew 6:31–33; Philippians 4:19

Shepherd’s Insight

Provision in Psalm 23 is not frantic, it is intentional. David does not describe himself running after food or fighting for water. Instead, he is led to green pastures and still waters.

This reveals something essential about the Shepherd’s care: He knows where provision is before the sheep ever feel the lack.

Green pastures are places of nourishment, but they are also places of rest. Still waters are safe waters, waters where fear does not disrupt nourishment. The Shepherd provides in environments where the sheep can actually receive what is offered.

Many experience lack not because God has failed to provide, but because they have been drinking from hurried waters and grazing in barren places. The Shepherd’s provision is not accessed through striving, but through following.

This week, God invites us to release anxiety-driven living and relearn trust. When the Lord is our Shepherd, provision is not something we chase, it is something we are led into.

Formation Thought

Provision flows where trust replaces striving.The Shepherd never leads His sheep to where He cannot sustain them.

Reflection Questions

1. Where do you most feel pressure to “make things happen” on your own?

2. In what ways might anxiety be interrupting your ability to receive God’s provision?

3. What would it look like to trust God as your daily source—not just in crisis, but in routine?

Prayer

Good Shepherd,You know what I need before I ask. Teach me to trust Your care and timing. Deliver me from anxious striving and self-reliance,and lead me into places where my soul can be nourished and at rest. I choose to follow You and trust that You will provide. Amen.

Weekly Practice

Practice Trust. Each day this week, intentionally surrender one area of concern - finances, decisions, responsibilities, or outcomes - to God in prayer. Speak aloud:“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”Let that truth quiet your heart before you move into action.