“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep
and my sheep know me.” - Jesus
Sheep need to eat grass to survive, so the loving shepherd leads the flock to lush grassy fields. But when the grass is all eaten in one field, any good shepherd would lead the sheep to another.
In Judea, there is a massive plateau, loaded with tasty green grass, over 500 square miles that rises above the surrounding areas. This plateau not only has rolling hills of grass, but is also littered with large, sharp rocks and dangerously swift streams. If the fluffy sheep stay close to the shepherd, they are safe. The problem is that sheep are baaaaaaad. They wander, always looking for something beyond what their shepherd can give them. So they wander into treacherous canyons and fall into swift streams.
We aren't much different, are we? Our Good Shepherd Jesus has given us everything, yes, we do not think it is enough. The prophet, Isaiah, declares….
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid upon him the iniquity of us all.” -Isaiah 53:6
We begin to think we can handle our own problems, and we wander astray, and in no time we are stumbling into pride-filled canyons, and tripping into swift rivers of self-induced heartache. We need help; we need a Shepherd.
Thanks be to God, we don't just have a Shepherd, we have THE Shepherd. Our Shepherd leads us through the darkest valley of despair. Our Shepherd gives us His Word to sustain us. Our Shepherd leads us to quiet and peaceful waters where our soul is restored in his loving arms. Our Shepherd, Jesus, became the lamb that was slain, taking our sins upon himself, so that we might have eternal pasture with him.
Join us Sunday as we celebrate mothers, but most of all, we celebrate being sheep under the one and only Good Shepherd. I can’t wait!
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