Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

SHEPHERD

May 28, 2010

"The Lord is my shepherd
..." While the 23rd Psalm may be one of the most famous of all Bible verses, truth is, most of us don't know too much about shepherds. We haven't hung around sheep,and more than likely have never known a shepherd.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep....I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me and I know the Father..." - John 10:11,14,15 TNIV

Gate, bread, light of the world, now, "I am the good shepherd." Jesus tells us that he's a shepherd of his sheep. He's good, because good shepherds go after the lost sheep, and put their lives on the line in the face of danger (lays down his life); he knows his own, and they know him--these are the things that make him a GOOD shepherd.
We still may know not too much about sheep and shepherds, but here, Jesus invites his sheep to know he's a shepherd who can be counted on. He is so good that he gets his own to their destination, the Father. The thought of being sheep may be a turn-off for you, but keep this in mind: the shepherd takes care of his flock, even when they wander off. The good shepherd does not say, "Stupid sheep, there it goes again over to the coyote." Instead the good shepherd goes and gets the lost sheep, in spite of it being a doofus.
Joyfully,

Dale Patterson