The Shephard

Isaiah 40:10-11 ESV
“Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and His arm rules for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”

Have you ever wondered why we are compared to sheep and the Lord is called our Shephard? Sheep have to be lead, not driven. Sheep have to depend on a shepherd to lead them in green pasture and lead them to water.

Sheep have complex emotions and individual personalities. They are social animals and will typically stay within the flock. Sheep have no ability to defend themselves, so they rely on a shepherd. They have a unique ability to not trust a stranger but will adhere to the shepherd that has been leading them.

A shepherd has to be trustworthy, brave and kind. He will provide the best pasture and the freshest water. The shepherd is sacrificial in that he will defend his sheep with everything that he has.

Notice what David said of our shepherd’ “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want (all my needs are met). He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”(Psalms 23:1-4 NKJV)

Prayer:
Savior, like a Shepherd, lead us because we need Your arms of care and protection. We are complex, that is for sure, but You know us and love us collectively and especially individually. You know what we need better than we do. You know our hearts; you see every tear that falls from our eyes, and you catch every tear. You gather us in Your arms and hold us tightly to Your chest. That is the Shepherd that we need today! Thank You, Amen!