The book of Proverbs contains many verses that stand alone as pithy statements of counsel, but Proverbs 27:23 is part of a group of verses: “You ought to know positively the appearance of your flock. Set your heart to your droves; for treasure will not be to time indefinite, nor a diadem for all generations. The green grass has departed, and the new grass has appeared, and the vegetation of the mountains has been gathered. The young rams are for your clothing, and the he-goats are the price of the field. And there is a sufficiency of goats’ milk for your food, for the food of your household, and the means of life for your girls.”​—Proverbs 27:23-27.

A hardworking and careful shepherd had a dependable source of help​—Jehovah. How so? Well, God provides the seasons and cycles that normally result in ample grass that could feed the flock. (Psalm 145:16) When, with seasonal changes, the green grass disappears from lower regions, it might be abundant at higher elevations, where an attentive shepherd could move his animals.