Do you ever feel a sense of worry or anxiety about the future? Perhaps you wonder "will I have enough for retirement?", or "will I have enough to buy groceries next week?", or "what will happen with this medical condition I'm facing...will I be okay?"

These feelings are real for many people across the world. However, God is calling us to trust Him.

We can learn from Scripture that God our great Shepherd is leading us, He will provide for us what we need. We see this picture when we look at where the flocks of sheep go to graze in the wilderness and "green pastures" near Israel today, and ever since Biblical times. They don't graze in lush pastures of never-ending crops of feed and grass. No, there isn't enough farming in the region for it to be used feeding sheep. Instead, the green pastures are actually rocky, hillsides in the wilderness and desert. Yet God provides for the sheep. There is just enough moisture for small patches of grass to grow under and along the rocks. The shepherds in the area have been taking their sheep there for centuries, providing the sheep just enough food for the day. And the next day, they take them out and walk them all day, and they eat just enough for the day.

That's what a relationship with God is meant to be like. God doesn't say "once you follow me, there will be no challenges, no stretching times, no difficulties." No! But He does tell us He is the Great Shepherd, and we can trust Him to provide for us just enough for today.

Here are some Scripture references that help us understand this picture more clearly, now that we see what and how the flocks of sheep are actually fed by the shepherds of Bible times up until today:

"I am the good shepherd" John 10:11

"For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls" 1Peter 2:25

"He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young" Isaiah 40:11

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake." Psalm 23:1-3