Thursday, March 19, 2015

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

In John 10:14-15, we read: “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

She came out of the back door, tip-toeing down the steps, making her way to the lot. If she were quiet maybe old Bessie wouldn’t hear her--on her morning to feed the chickens and collect the eggs.

So far, so good. Bending over to go in the henhouse, she heard the sounds of hoofs behind her.  Before she could change directions, the  head of old Bessie had made contact. “WHAM.” She lay sprawled on the ground, fuming.

She looked up at Bessie who stood triumphantly. The old sheep had won again. “And I thought sheep were special.”

Mama’s story always brought laughter as she told it. But when you think about it, the flock is not made only of soft fluffy lambs. You have every kind and shape of sheep imaginable. Yes, soft and  nice ones but also tough ones, old crippled ones, and just downright mean ones.

I find the flock of our Lord Jesus much the same. Every type of personality. I  had a problem with this when I first came to know our Lord. I thought all of His believers would be the same, of like mind.

Not true. Living in the “flock of our Lord Jesus,” the Lord teaches us through the lives and efforts of each other. No need for all to be the same. Sometimes we’re not nice or fun to be around. But we are His flock.

Kingdom Thinking. The one thing that the flock has in common--being a sheep. Once we are brought into the fold, we belong to the Lord Jesus and He is the Good Shepherd. He is the one who loves us with an everlasting love; He never leaves us nor forsakes us. Won’t you come to Him. He loves you.