Bible Reading: Psalm 23; Isaiah 53:4-7

Chloe gasped as the car rounded the mountain road and the French Alps were fully displayed. "I've never seen anything so majestic!"

Dad parked the car next to a rustic cabin. The cabin door opened and a man with dark curly hair and a beard exited with arms outstretched. "John! Come and hug your old friend!"

Chloe hung back, watching the happy reunion until the men turned to her. "Chloe, meet my old college friend, Jules! The last time we got together you were just a baby."

"You can call me Uncle Jules if you wish, Chloe. My, you are growing up quickly!"

"Do we really get to stay a whole week and help you care for your sheep? Dad says you have over a thousand! I read that shepherding is a difficult job. What's your favorite part about it?"

Jules threw up his hands and laughed. "Whoa! I'm not used to all these questions. The sheep aren't nearly as chatty." Jules winked at Chloe. "I'm happy to tell you all about it over a nice cup of coffee."

The next morning, Chloe was bundled and ready for a day of shepherding. After a few hours, she collapsed on the ground dramatically. "How do you not get bored, Uncle Jules?"

Jules chuckled. "It takes a certain type of personality to do this day after day, but I actually enjoy all this stillness. I have plenty of time to memorize God's Word out here and reflect on His goodness."

"Kind of like David did," said Chloe. "He was a shepherd too. Didn't he write that famous psalm about sheep?"

Jules nodded. "Psalm Twenty-Three."

"David compares us to sheep in the psalm," Dad pointed out. "And the Lord is our shepherd. When we had wandered away and were lost in sin, Jesus gave His life to save us, and He promises to guide us and take care of us."

Jules pulled a small, worn Bible out of his coat pocket and opened it to Psalm 23. Chloe read it aloud through verse three. "Today we are living out this psalm!" she said. "This morning you put salt out so the sheep could follow the route you wanted them to take. Just like you lead them on safe terrain, God guides us on the right paths."

–Savannah Coleman