…the Good Shepherd
Hello friend! I pray that you are grateful for God’s miraculous presence in every moment of this amazing day. Today, I want to focus in on a miraculous gift that Jesus offers to us when He says:
“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.’” (John 10:11-15, NIV)
When Jesus made this original statement, the people who heard it would have been so confused, because in their minds there was no such thing as a GOOD shepherd. Back then, shepherds were seen as thieves and criminals. They were not even allowed to testify in court because people just assumed they were lying. Jesus started a scandal when He called Himself the GOOD shepherd!
friend, have you ever wondered what makes the Good Shepherd good? Jesus is good because He stays with you when spiritual attacks come. He is good because He knows everything about you, and He stays close in spite of where you fall short. He is good because He loves you so much that He laid down His life for you. You were that precious and valuable to Him. He is good because when you wander off, He comes looking for you and carries you back to safety. He is good because He opens the door for His sheep to respond to His voice as He calls us to safety and purpose!
I did a little research on sheep. Here is what I learned:
FACT 1 - Sheep love to eat, but they’re even worse at portion control than I am, so if they’re ever given an endless food they will literally eat until they throw up and sometimes, they’ll even eat themselves to death.
FACT 2 - Sheep love to drink, but they’ve been known to fall into the river they’re drinking from because they don’t have great depth perception and get swept away and die from drowning.This is why shepherds carry a staff with a crook so they can pull sheep back to safety!
FACT 3 - Sheep are known for their amazing coats of wool, but if their coat gets too full, they can become so round that when they fall over they literally can’t get back up, so they end up rolling around endlessly until their shepherd is able to help them up.
And on top of that, sheep are stubborn! friend, all of this research led me to one conclusion. If I am a sheep, I need a GOOD SHEPHERD...and I have one in Jesus.
My friend, who are you following today? Are you following anyone and everyone who calls for your attention OR are you following the ONE who knows you by name, calls you to His side and willingly laid down His life for you.
My prayer for you today is that you will follow Jesus on the path of miracles and connection with your Good Shepherd! Every day is a miracle day when you are following Jesus! Never forget my friend...
You are a miracle!
