The Good shepherd
Spend a few moments in silence before God preparing your heart to hear from Him.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” - Psalm 23
How does picturing God as a shepherd make you feel?
Pray: Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved Psalms because it gives us a beautiful description of God’s loving care for His people. Take some time to think and write down some of the ways God has cared for you recently and thank Him for the specific ways He has shown you His love.
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” – Matthew 9:35-38
Read: John 10:11-18
What does this passage teach you about Jesus? How does it perhaps transform your view of God’s character and heart toward you?
Jesus declares himself to be the Good Shepherd almost immediately after he says he is the Gate for the sheep. Here, He explicitly references how not only is He the way through which the sheep may enter and find life, but He Himself is going to lay down His own life for the sake of His sheep. Jesus dearly loves those who belong to Him, including both those who follow Him and those who have yet to respond to His offer of salvation. He will not leave His people alone to be devoured by the forces of evil and darkness, but He freely and willingly died for the sake of those He loves. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who left heaven to become human, endure all the pain and hardships we endure, face down death, and take our sin upon Himself, so we could receive His eternal life.
Listen: Check out the following video for further study.
What needs to change in your life as a result of hearing this message about Jesus?
Pray: Use the following passage of Scripture as a guide for a closing prayer to your time spent with God today.
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable richness of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” – Ephesians 2:1-7
