Upon a recent visit to the United Kingdom, I saw so many amazing things. But no matter when I visit, one thing I always see is an abundance of sheep. We don’t have many sheep where I’m from, and so what we do have pales in comparison to the numerous sheep that dots various parts of the British and Irish landscape.

Sheep are used numerous times throughout Scripture as a metaphor to compare the relationship that a shepherd has with their sheep to the relationship God has with us. Jesus Himself is even the Good Shepherd (John 10:11). That metaphor didn’t quite sink in for me personally until I actually saw sheep in action and thought of that very comparison as it was playing out in front of me – even if I was just observing stagnant flocks of sheep as they blinked by while I rode on a bus across a foreign country. In this post, I want to share these thoughts about sheep – and how they can relate to us – with you.

So long as God is our Shepherd, we need not worry.

During our daily lives, we encounter stress in some form or fashion. However, sheep don’t seem to feel that way, at least not on the surface; they’re simply content to exist, following whatever direction their shepherd gives them (more on this idea later). God tells us to cast our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7), much like sheep cast their cares upon a shepherd who leads them to green pastures (Psalm 23). He even tells us that He cares even more for us than the creation He designed – including, in the case of Matthew 10:29-31, sparrows – which He already established as good in the beginning (Genesis 1:31). And when things seem hard in life, we can lean on fellow Christians and gather with them for fellowship and support, just as sheep gather in their flocks. Together, we can lean on our Shepherd as He cares for us. And speaking of His care…

God takes greater care of us than we can fathom.

Sheep are completely dependent on those who look after them for food, shelter, and guidance. We operate in a similar fashion, but we have the almighty God of Heaven and earth Who guides us throughout our entire lives and drives our purpose according to His will (Romans 8:28). This care may not be visible to the naked eye, but it is evident regardless of if we see it or not (Hebrews 11:1); it just takes faith to know that His presence is there. When things seem uncertain, we don’t need to run away from problems and trials; rather, we need to lean on God instead of feeling skittish and afraid in this great big world around us. If this is the case, we need not be anxious (Philippians 4:6). Danger and tests and trials may rise, but we need to keep in mind that the Lord will guide us where we need to be and care for us along the way.

God is the One who placed us here on earth; all He requires is our obedience, trust, and love.

Step outside of the sheep metaphor with me and think of a pet that you had when you were younger. When your pet was small, what did they need the most? Love, right? And you also trained them to come to you when you called, and they came to love and trust you? As sheep learn to trust their master, we can learn day by day to trust our Savior more (Proverbs 3:5). And as we learn to trust our Savior more, we grow in our relationship with Him, and we understand better how He cares for us as our lives play out according to His will.

All this having been said, there’s a lot to be learned from observing sheep. Even if there aren’t many sheep where you are, or if it seems like you have far too many of them across your hometown’s landscape, you can still get the sense of how God cares for His creation. And when we see how God cares for His creation, we know all the more how much He truly cares for and loves us.

“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own” (John 10:14).

By Savannah Cottrell