The Shepherd (Blake) of The Shepherd as Christ is initially found in another Song, The Little Black Boy. Psalm 23 depicts God as a shepherd of mankind, and the capitalization of the word 'Shepherd' in the first and last lines furthers the idea that the Shepherd is a symbol of God. In the bible, a shepherd's presence is representative of guidance. In this poem, the Shepherd can be viewed as the spiritual guide or a savior of the herd, rejoicing in their numbers. Jesus is also referred to in the bible as the Lamb of God. Since the poem depicts The Shepherd as
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) of Faith, Hope, and Thankfulness Inspired by the Worship Anthem". The song is a contemporary version of a classic worship song making the case for "10,000 reasons for my heart to find" to praise Jesus. The inspiration for the song came through the opening verse of Psalm 103: "Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name". It is also based on the 19th century English hymn "Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven" written by Henry Francis Lyte. Redman recalled the writing of the song was through an initial idea or suggestion from co-writer Jonas