Today, I believe the Lord wants to remind us that He is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus said:
"I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)
"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 10:14-15)
A good shepherd in the natural sense guides their flock of sheep through danger to safety. A shepherd can't remove the threat, that would be impossible. There are times wild animals lurk in the distance, ready to pounce on the sheep. However, a good shepherd is attentive and leads the sheep through the danger and to a safe place. The danger, the threat is still there; they're just overcoming it by leading the sheep through it.
In the same way, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, leads His people through danger. Sometimes the danger cannot be removed, it has to be faced directly. Then we walk through it by faith because we know the Good Shepherd is with us every step of the way. Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd!
- Jesus Christ is also King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
- Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning in the end.
- Jesus Christ is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.
- Jesus Christ is in all places at all times through the Holy Spirit!
Nothing escapes the watchful eyes of our Good Shepherd. Nothing and no one is more powerful than our Good Shepherd. As we walk through these times, it is a must to keep our eyes on Him. It is a must that we listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd! If we do, we will have confidence that our God will see us through.
For a moment, imagine walking through a dangerous place, and Jesus Christ turns around and says to you, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1). Wouldn't that relieve your fears? It definitely would for me! In reality, that is what Jesus is saying to His people now! Believe in me, trust me, rely on me, do not fear, do not doubt my promises!
To hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, we have to be still and listen. We have to stop listening to the voices that would lead us into fear and discouragement.
Listen:
- I am not saying disregard the realities of this pandemic. They are real, and no one can say "everything is normal, nothing has changed"!
- I am saying, we can't let the pandemic of fear and panic grab our hearts.
- I am saying, don't allow the virus of fear to take hold of our hearts and destroy us from the inside out.
- I am saying, don't let it take our joy, our faith, and make the promises of God to no effect in our lives.
We must remember, the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, wants us to follow Him through the days ahead, trusting that He is greater than anything we might face in the days ahead. 1 John 4:4 says, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." Amen and Amen! Do you believe that?
We need to let the Holy Spirit affirm these things in our hearts. It's good to be reminded of that from other people. Still, ultimately as a sheep, I need to listen directly to the Shepherd.
How can I do that?
- I can do that by reading His promises in the word of God.
- I can do that by listening to the Holy Spirit. He will remind me of things He has revealed to me in the past.
- Jesus said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." John 14:26
This pandemic, we are all going through worldwide may not go away immediately. We have no idea how long it will go on, and we have no control over that. If there is an evil intention behind it, besides the devil himself, we have no control over that. God does!
All we can do is:
- Pray to Him.
- Rest in Him.
- Rejoice in Him.
- Trust in Him, knowing that his faithfulness and power does not change with the ebb and flow of human events.
I'm reminded of a couple lines from that great hymn Amazing Grace. it says: "Through many dangers toils and snares I have already come; 'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far and Grace will lead me home." Amen!
Jesus urged us to trust in him one day at a time. Only the great Shepherd knows what's around the corner. We can read the signs of the times, but we don't entirely know how all that will play out in our lives.
The good news is:
- We know the one who can stop evil in its tracks.
- We know the one who speaks a word, and it comes to pass.
- We know the one who loves like no other.
- We know the one who promises to Shepherd us now and throughout our lives.
So listen to His voice. He is the voice of supernatural reason! He will bring clarity to our hearts and minds, and with that, He will bring peace.
In ending, let me say this! When worry and fear attack you like a ravenous wolf, remember the Good Shepherd is with you and speak God's word out loud! Proclaim the name of Jesus to it! Say Jesus Christ is Lord! Yes, like that, say, "Jesus Christ is Lord." Demons tremble at the sound of that name. Fear falls to its knees at the remembrance of who Jesus Christ truly is.
He loves you with an everlasting love, yes that's the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ!
God bless you, Brian