Nugget of the day: Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25. Have you ever really thought about God’s role in our life? I don’t mean read a Bible verse and agree with it and then move on: I mean really think of how God has outlined His role for us. God calls Himself the Shepherd. There are 43 verses referring to God as the Shepherd. God must have wanted to drive this point home in our brains. Back when the Bible was written, shepherds were very much needed. They had to protect the family’s livelihood. Shepherds had to be on duty 24/7. There were no breaks or holidays. They sat up and watched the sheep in the dark of the night. The shepherd tried to keep the sheep out of trouble, but the sheep did not always heed the warnings. When the sheep got into trouble, the shepherd was there to get them out.Shepherds provided for the sheep making sure all their needs were met. They fed and watered them. If one of the sheep went missing the shepherd searched until he found it and returned it to his flock. The shepherd did not get the glory for a job well done. The sheep owners reaped the rewards and the lonely shepherd continued to do his job. There was a reason God saw the shepherds role so important that they were the first witness to the birth of the true Shepherd. My prayer tonight is that we all realize we are lost sheep when we do not have our true Shepherd leading us. We need to know that God is always watching over us and if we are lost He is looking for us and will not stop until we are safely back in His arms.