The Shepherd

Coming off the heels of a two week mission trip to Africa, I wanted to share something from the trip, and also from the Lord.  Our trip involved equipping youth to become disciples for Christ.  The greatest privilege I had while there, besides teaching them God's truths daily, was being given the undeserved honor of being a "shepherd".  Our leader assigned each of us 3-4 kids to watch over.  This trip involved a combined camp of 44 South African youth.  We all stayed together 24/7 at a Christian Conference Center.  My roomie and I were given four girls in our care.  My goal was to ensure they were always where they needed to be, meet their needs (physically & emotionally), greet them each morning with a smile and tuck them in at night with a prayer and a kiss.  As their shepherd, I was hungry to be close to them.  I wanted them to feel comfortable to open their hearts up to me and for them to get to know me as well.  One of my favorite memories is when I sat on their beds with them and they asked me questions about my life.  What a sweet time it was as we all began to open up and share!  Today my heart smiles as I am reminded of these beautiful girls. 

Jesus is our Shepherd.  He too desires for us to draw near to Him.  After getting back to the states, I was reading God's word and I stumbled upon John chapter 10.  This chapter speaks about the Shepherd and His flock.  Verses 3-4 tells us "the sheep listen to His voice" as "He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.  When He has brought out all His own He goes ahead of them and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice."  Being responsible for the girls, we made sure they were where they needed to be each day.  Jesus too watches closely over us to place us exactly where we need to be in our lives.  Sometimes, we might question where we are, but our circumstances are no surprise to Him.  Psalm 16:5  "Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure."  Jesus also is there to meet all our needs.  Philippians 4:19  "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."  In addition to meeting our needs, our great shepherd is eager to meet us every morning - He is meeting us with truths that carry us through the day.  He is anxious for us to come to Him.  Psalm 5:3  "In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly."  Isaiah 50:4  "The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.  He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed."  Psalm 88:113  "But I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you."  Lamentations 3:22-24  "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”  Psalm 90:14  "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Isaiah 33:2  "Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you.  Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress."  Psalm 143:8  "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life."  How can we read through these scriptures and not be burning with desire to come to Him in the morning.  These scriptures are only touching the surface - He so wants us to start our day with His sweet truth!  He is also with us in the night and dark hours.  He offers us a sacred kiss each night as we put our heads on our pillow.  Psalm 18:28  "You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light."  Exodus 33:14  "The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  Psalm 32:7-8  "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you."  I love to think of His "loving eye" on me.  Psalm 62:1-2  "Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken."  Matthew 11:28  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  Psalm 42:8 "By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life."

One of the sweetest things about our Heavenly Shepherd, that so many believers miss, is the fact that He wants us to know Him.  To truly know Him and His love for us.  One of my daughter's friends, who writes a blog from their mission trip in El Salvador, spent an entire week (as they fasted from the Internet) searching Who God Is - in His word (thank you Leah for a great blog)!  She wanted to know more about the Shepherd.  Jesus desires this of all His sheep.  Matthew 18:12-14  "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish."  Matthew 9:36-38  "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."  John 10:27-30  "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”  John 10:14 "“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—"