My First Encounter with the Lord, My Shepherd

Psalm 23:1 – "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."

I've often reflected on what it truly means to say, "The Lord is my Shepherd." How many of us pause to consider the depth of those words? How many of us live as if the Lord truly is our Shepherd—trusting, following, surrendering?

When I think about sheep, I picture creatures that are vulnerable, directionless, and prone to wander. They lack awareness of danger, blindly walking forward—even toward a cliff—without realising the fall ahead.

That was my life.

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I wandered through existence—lost, uncertain, aimless—until I hit what felt like a brick wall. Behind me was only darkness. To my left and right, more darkness. Ahead, an unscalable barrier. Above, a weight of hopelessness. I was trapped, worn, and empty. Death felt like the only escape. It called to me with false comfort. And for a moment, I almost surrendered.

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But then—light broke through.

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Amid that despair, I saw a radiant figure clothed in white, surrounded by brilliance like diamonds. I couldn't explain it then and still can't now—but I knew there was the one I had heard of all my life. Jesus. And He simply said, "Come, follow Me."

Until then, I had never known what it meant to be led. My life had been a constant struggle—striving, surviving, carrying burdens alone. But now here was someone offering to take, guide, and show me the way.

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The thought of being led—to be seen, known, and cared for—was overwhelming but nice. I remember running toward Him, afraid to let Him out of my sight. From that moment on, I knew: I had met my Shepherd.

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Since then, life has not always been easy, but I am no longer without direction. I have come to know the deep comfort of His presence. I've experienced His provision in miraculous ways. There were years when I struggled to feed my children, when bills piled up, and when the threat of homelessness loomed—but my Shepherd showed up—just in time, every time. He provided. He guided. He restored.

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So when I say, "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want," I'm not quoting a psalm lightly—I'm proclaiming a truth I have lived. I know what it is to be rescued from the edge. I know what it is to be led with love.

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What happened to me was truly supernatural. I still don't know if it was a dream or a vision, but I remember it clearly. I saw myself falling into a bottomless abyss, swallowed by darkness. Then suddenly, I was standing in a field filled with sunlight, butterflies, lush greenery, and vibrant flowers. There, in the centre of it all, stood Jesus. He looked at me and said, "Come, follow Me."

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And I have been following Him ever since.