My Shepherd

"I myself will tend my sheep

and have them lie down,

declares the Sovereign LORD.

I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.

I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak,

but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.

I will shepherd the flock with justice."

Ezekiel 34:15-16

I need a shepherd.  I tend to wander off the path, seeking my own way, getting distracted by sweet-smelling flowers or tantalizing green blades of grass that sprout just beyond my pasture.  The lusciousness of my own meadow, bountiful and abundant as can be, pales in comparison to what, in my opinion, lies beyond.  My gaze wanders to the unknown. . . enticing my little feet to carry me to places not meant for me.  

I am lost, wounded and in need of a shepherd.

God knows how to take care of those who belong to Him better than any human can.  Even so, He placed some of us in positions to mind His flock.  Unfortunately, not all succeed, instead falling to the temptation of personal comfort and gain.  The stars in their eyes block the view of the One who called them, luring them away from their true purpose.  Consequently, God's people are left to wander.  

Thankfully, I am not left without a shepherd.  The Sovereign LORD Himself will tend His sheep so I am not without hope.

Lost

I remember one time in my life being lost in the woods.  I thought I knew where I was going, but I soon became completely turned around and disoriented due to my unfamiliarity with the area and the thickness of the forest.  I lost my way.

In a similar sense, it is easy for me to lose my bearings as a believer.  I can wander around in a place I have no business exploring when, before I know it, I've lost my way.  I don't know how to get back to where I belong.

Thankfully, God does not leave me to my own devices.  He comes after me, searching for me until He finds me.  

While Jesus walked the earth as a man, He vividly demonstrated His passion for finding His sheep.  There was one lost little lamb named Zaccheus who held the despised position of a Jew serving as the chief tax collector for the Roman empire.  He cheated many people in the course of carrying out his duties and thus became quite wealthy.  


One day he heard that Jesus, this man he had heard so much about but had never had the opportunity to meet, was coming his way.  Being a short man, he climbed a Sycamore tree to gain an advantage over the large crowd that had formed.  As Jesus approached, he looked up into the tree and called Zaccheus by name, announcing that He would come to his home and eat a meal with him.  


Jesus visited Jericho in search of one of His own.  When those around Him began to criticize, saying He should not be defiling Himself by eating with someone who had cheated so many and who actually worked for the oppressive occupying regime, He proclaimed that, ". . .the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."  (Luke 19:10)


Jesus came to die for those who know their need for Him.  Without Him, I have no hope of getting close to the One who created me, or of receiving the gift of life eternal.  


When I am straying toward the land of self-sufficiency and independence, Jesus will not rest until He has brought me safely back to the fold of His sovereignty.  When I follow those who preach a message that speaks to my desire for wealth and happiness, my Shepherd will pursue me until He guides me back into the pen of peace.  When I tire of staying on the rocky, narrow trail and wander over to the wide, smooth path, Jesus patiently prods me toward His Way.  


My Shepherd goes after me when I have strayed away from Him.

Injured and Weak

When I first started having trouble with my knee, I found that it helped if I bound it with an ace bandage.  The support the wrap provided helped me to keep active and continue moving with minimal pain.

There are many times when life has caused injury.   The death of a loved one.  The betrayal of a friend.  The pain of gossip.   These are times when I need my Shepherd.  He is the one that, ". . .heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3)  

If I want true healing from injury, I must take my pain to the Master Healer.  As I undergo His treatment, He will painfully clean out the wound, ridding me of every impurity that is impeding the healing process.  He will show me the hidden anger, the bitterness and the areas of sin that are festering under the surface of the wound.  As I release these struggles, placing them into His hands, I experience the restoration of my health.  I am well!

Other times I'm just plain weak.  I'm physically worn out, mentally fatigued and spiritually broken.  I feel like I can't go on, am unable to endure another second, or will break under the pressure of another crisis.  I wonder when I will find rest.

Joni Eareckson Tada knows a little bit about weakness.  She suffered a spinal cord injury at the age of 17 which left her paralyzed from the chest down, unable to use her arms or legs.  She felt her life was over.  But through faith in Jesus, she is now able to say, "God wants us to lay our burdens on Him and rest in His love.  It's His responsibility to work out the purpose and plan in our hardships.  Only our refusal to trust Him. . . can hinder His purposes in our lives."  

Even though I feel powerless against all the difficulties and trials occurring in my life, I am not without hope.  God has a plan, and in completely trusting Him and letting Him direct my life, I can say as the Apostle Paul said, "I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10)

My Shepherd restores me to a healthy place and is my strength when I am weak.  

Justice

It's not fair!

What have I done to deserve this?

Why do I always get the short end of the stick?

These are common thoughts in my mind.  I judge according to my own sense of right and wrong which is usually biased toward my own interests.  I feel slighted when I don't get my fair share of the good stuff and angry when I get more of the bad stuff than everyone else.  Of course, my scale is off so my conclusion is faulty.

Only God is just.  Only He knows right and wrong.

The King of Assyria was pretty sure of himself.  He thought the strength and size of his mighty empire was due to his own wisdom, strength and understanding.  He failed to acknowledge God's providence, instead taking credit for himself.  He showed a real lack of respect for the One who makes every breath possible.  Therefore, God said, "the LORD Almighty, will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors; under his pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame."  (Isaiah 10:16)

God is always looking at the state of my heart.  When I place myself in the position of judge, deciding who deserves what and taking credit where none is due, my heart is selfish and hard. I am setting myself against God.

If, instead, I would turn from rebellion against God and accept His will and lordship over my life, I am rightfully placing the responsibility for judging back in His hands.  I release the desire to look out for my own best interests and let God decide what is best.

The one thing that really matters to God is my relationship with Him.  The things that usually matters to me is my comfort and me getting what I want.  Like Oswald Chambers said, "God wants you in a closer relationship to Himself than receiving His gifts. . .There is nothing easier than getting into a right relationship with God except when it is not God Whom you want but only what He gives."

Jesus said, ". . .God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  God is the only just judge, but He is not here to condemn me.  Instead, He does everything He can to reconcile myself with Him.  But I must want that for myself.. . .I must want Him more than I want anything else: He will not force Himself on me.

My Shepherd is just and therefore accepts nothing less than all of me.  

My wandering, weak and hard-hearted self needs a shepherd.  Thankfully, I have a Shepherd who will search for me until He finds me and won't rest until I'm back with Him.  My Shepherd binds up my injuries and serves as my source of strength.  My Shepherd leads with justice, always with an eye on restoring my relationship with Him.  The LORD is my Shepherd!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will let my Shepherd lead me.

When do I try to take credit for the good things in my life instead of giving glory to God?

How do I take on the role of judge in deciding what is good and what is not for myself instead of simply seeking Him?