The Good Shepherd
This week’s devotional and link focus on one of the best-known chapters in the Bible – Psalm 23. The link below will show how this Psalm paints a picture of the life of David, one of the most remarkable kings of all time and a man after God’s own heart. He was also a fallen person in need of redemption, just like each one of us.
In this devotional, we are going to focus on the Good Shepherd. Being a shepherd was not considered a glamorous job, by any means. It was a dirty and often dangerous job, and they were despised by most of the non-Jewish nations. But the Bible gives honor to this lowly profession. Abraham, Moses and David were shepherds, and the shepherds of Bethlehem were visited by angels and given a front row seat to the birth of the Savior. David called God his shepherd, and Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd.
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:7-15 (NIV)
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing 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—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
As the Good Shepherd, Jesus laid down his life for his people to allow us to live forever with him in paradise. He offers to lead us in the right direction, sustain and protect us, and bring us peace and joy in all circumstances. But first, we must choose to follow him.
What does it mean to let Jesus be our Shepherd?
- Go through the gate. In the passage above, Jesus says that he is the gate for the sheep. The gate protects the sheep from predators (Satan) and allows them access to life-sustaining pasture. Jesus is the only gate to salvation. The world, and sadly even some churches, like to claim that there are multiple paths to Heaven, but Jesus tells us that he is the ONLY way. (John 14:6; Acts 4:12)
- Know the Shepherd’s voice. There are many competing voices in this world that would seek to lead us into sin and condemnation. Even in the church there are many false teachers and misguided leaders who can derail our relationship to Christ. But we can know the voice of Jesus through prayer and Bible study. When you read the Bible, pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal truth to you and that you will hear what God is telling you. (Romans 10:17; Jeremiah 29:13; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
- Don’t wander off! A sheep that wanders away becomes a prime target for the wolf. Satan is the current ruler of this world and, like the wolf, he seeks to destroy us. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that our struggle is against demonic forces and we are simply not equipped, on our own, to do battle with them. But Jesus has already won the war and, equipped with his Holy Spirit, we can also find victory. (Ephesians 6:10-18; John 15:5)
- Trust Jesus to lead. Sheep are not smart animals. Without good shepherding, they will make poor decisions that will affect their health and welfare and could even get them killed. Likewise, as human beings, we are prone to making bad decisions. Jesus has infinitely more vision, wisdom and knowledge than we could ever have. If we let him take the lead in our lives, praying about everything in our life, he will take us down the right path. (1 Corinthians 10:13; Colossians 1:15-17)
- Don’t eat garbage. If a sheep does not feed in good pastures, it will not get the nutrients it needs to remain healthy. Likewise, if we feed ourselves a steady diet of sin and garbage, we will not remain physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually healthy. Consider your music, movies, habits, hobbies, relationships, and activities in general. Are they honoring to God? (Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:1-25)
If you have never accepted Christ as your personal Savior, you are helpless against the wolf of this world, and you will not find true peace. You can make the decision today to let Jesus, the Good Shepherd, take control of your life and lead you to good pastures and still waters. You can do that by praying something like this:
Jesus, I know that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe that you died for my sins and that you were raised again, conquering sin and death forever. I believe you are Lord, Jesus, and today I ask you to be the Lord of my life. I choose to turn away from sin and follow you. Be my Good Shepherd and lead me down the path you have chosen for me. Thank you for saving me!
Songs of Victory
