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Do you really know who your Shepherd is?

Many of us grew up with a distorted picture of God—distant, disappointed, always watching for us to mess up. But what if that image isn't just off—it's completely wrong?

Psalm 23 opens with a game-changer: "The Lord is my shepherd." That's not just a poetic line. It's a radical shift in perspective. David wasn't focused on himself, his enemies, or even the cave he was hiding in. He was focused on who God is.

And that's the same invitation for us: stop letting secondhand ideas define God and let Him speak for Himself.

When God introduced Himself to Moses in Exodus 34, He didn't lead with power or judgment. He said, "I am merciful. I am gracious." He doubled down: "merciful, merciful." In Hebrew, those words go even deeper—He's kind, compassionate, generous. "I am" isn't a harsh taskmaster. He is a God who bends low to care for the broken.

Jesus lived this out. Remember the woman caught in adultery in John 8? Everyone had stones in hand. Jesus didn't ignore the sin but didn't condemn her either. He said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more." That's the real heart of God: mercy first, compassion over condemnation.

So whether you're walking through cancer, heartbreak, failure, or just the grind of life—hear this clearly: your pain isn't a punishment. It's part of living in a broken world. But your Shepherd hasn't changed. He's still merciful. Still gracious. Still with you.

Psalm 23 comforts us not because life gets easier but because we realize who's with us. The Shepherd is good.

Here's what this truth grounds us in:

• "The Lord is my shepherd" shifts our focus off ourselves and onto who God is.
• When God reveals Himself, He starts with mercy, His leading trait.
• "Gracious" in Hebrew isn't just polite, it means kind, compassionate, generous.
• Jesus embodies this fully: mercy without compromise, love without condemnation.
• Your struggles aren't signs of divine anger but symptoms of a fallen world.
• True peace comes when we stop obsessing over our failures and start seeing our Shepherd.

Today, choose to trust the God who is, not the version you've heard about, feared, or misunderstood.

He's merciful. He's gracious. And He hasn't taken His eyes off you for a second.

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