When you hear the word shepherd, do you immediately think of the Christmas story recorded in the Bible of the shepherds’ watching over the sheep when the angels appeared in sky announcing Christ our Savior’s birth? As a child that was my first understanding of a shepherd! I knew about cowboys caring and herding cattle, but at that time in the Texas Panhandle I saw no sheep or shepherds so my knowledge came from books. The dictionary defines a shepherd as one who herds sheep, gathers, guards, leads, and drives i.e, pastors. That sounds like a full time job to me especially as we are the sheep and Christ is the shepherd as God’s Holy Word depicts us. When sheep are frightened they hunker down just as many of us do when faced with fearful circumstances. Matt.10:16 “I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves” Did you know Hitler’s first name Adolf means wolf in Hebrew! John10:11 “Jesus said, ‘I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD; THE GOOD SHEPHERD GIVES HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP. He that is a hireling , not the shepherd…sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep so the wolf catches them and scatters them because the hireling does not care for the sheep. I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND KNOW MY SHEEP AND AM KNOWN OF MINE. I as the Father knows me, even so I know the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” May we follow the true Shepherd, “THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name?s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and staff comfort me. Thou prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will live in the house of the LORD FOREVER.” Psalms 23
THE LIVING GOD #SHEPHERD
