The Great Shepherd of the Sheep

One of the verses in God’s Word that has meant so much to me throughout the years, even now, is found in Peter’s letter:

“For you were like sheep going astray, but now have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”  I Peter 2:25

I have always loved the stories about sheep and their Shepherd.  It is also so amazing how Peter by occupation, was NOT a shepherd of sheep, but a fisherman.

Yet see how the Lord Himself shaped his heart into this intimate reality of His Savior and Lord being his Shepherd, and he, a lamb of His.

It began for him after the Lord’s resurrection at the breakfast campfire in John 20.  There Jesus said to him three times, “feed my sheep/lambs.”  Paul did not write like this although he definitely was just as intimate with His Lord and Savior.

The Lord has some intimate fashioning of our hearts as well – something that will have great meaning to us personally.  Our lives are indeed a story – from birth, to spiritual birth and entering the kingdom of the Son of God’s love, and then stepping onto heaven’s shore.

Somewhere along the line, there is a way God does communicate to us uniquely and intimately that will go to the core of being.  In other words, God is very passionate about His Words of Truth and Life being a part of all of us, in every way.

So for me, it was the Shepherd and the sheep reality.  Somehow realizing how Jesus Himself is the Bishop of my soul meant so much.  He understood how much my soul needed renewing so that His Truth and Words of Life could and would be at the forefront of my mind, will, and emotions – not just my spirit. And not just here and there, but all the time.

When Jesus stood looking over Jerusalem during His earthly ministry, He said these words:  “Jerusalem, Jerusalem the one who kills prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How OFTEN, I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing.”  Luke 13:34

Can you hear Him?  Here He is speaking yet another way (instead of like a Shepherd and sheep).  Can you hear His great desire and great love He has to gather us under His wings, like a hen and her chicks?

Or now can we hear Him as the Great Shepherd of the Sheep who longs to gather his sheep/children to only His side?

He simply said to Jerusalem:  “…but you were not willing.”

Is that all it takes?  A willingness?

Today He does simply asks for our willingness to let Him lead from our hearts where He dwells.  Just knowing a little bit about sheep it is true, that they will follow something or someone that captures their attention – then all the other sheep follow too.

If Jesus Christ Himself then captures our attention, then all the sheep will follow and hear Him.

This wonderful Shepherd (and only true Shepherd), the Lord Jesus Christ CAN awaken us not only to His great love and tender mercies, but to a greater understanding in our souls of the work He Himself has done and to this great salvation and reality of His living in our hearts.

Oh many today do walk as sheep without a Shepherd.  But we are not sheep/children without the Great Shepherd.  We have Jesus Christ Himself, Lord of all, Head of His Church and Body, the Risen Lamb indeed dwelling in our hearts through faith.

No one, absolute no one knows, understands and loves us better than He Himself, Who is Love and the Source of Love.

The Shepherd hears us – woos us to Himself.  Okay then, let’s make a run to Him.  Baaaaa-hhh!

Sue Gaither