“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” – John 10:11
As humans, we are sometimes known to act like sheep. Always following the flock, not thinking for ourselves, struggling to get up after we fell and, the list goes on. Lucky for us, we have the best shepherd out there.
All the attributes of a ‘good’ shepherd are the exact opposite of the sheep’s bad characteristics: he is the protector, the caregiver, the leader. Sheep have no way of effectively fighting off a wolf if they’re being attacked – the only hope is in their shepherd. Jesus already had the fight with our wolf (our sin and its consequences), and guess what – He won it! When His blood poured out and He breathed His last breath, we were all given a new chance. Jesus truly loves us so much that He was willing to lay down His own life so that we can have a new slate.
Jesus knows that we sometimes wander and stray away from Him. Fortunately, He will leave the 99 in a heartbeat to save His one lost sheep. After the shepherd found the lost sheep, what does he do? Punish the sheep for running away, maybe even banish it from the flock? No! He rejoices, celebrating the return of his child. His love and compassion for us will always lead us back to him, our shepherd and father. We just need to seek Him.
The Sheperd
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for being our good Shepherd. Thank you for laying Your life down so that we can live freely. Please help me to hear Your voice, guiding me when I struggle and wander away from You. Amen.
Challenge: Find out in what place you most often stray away from the Lord. What makes you feel all alone and guilty like you’re far away from Jesus? Once you’ve identified this thing, start to seek God’s voice while you’re wandering away from Him. You might just hear Him calling you back and welcoming you with open arms.
