The Lord Our Shepherd

I used to wonder what it meant in the Scriptures when it said that Jesus looked at the people like they were sheep without a shepherd. The more I am beginning to understand the depth of the fallenness of our world the, the more I understand. When you look at a mother, brokenhearted, sitting by the bedside of her sick child, or a man confused about why his wife left, or someone trapped in addiction spiraling out of control, It isn't hard to understand what it means.]

Satan is like a wild animal, tearing at the lambs of God. His tactics are usually the same. First, he separates them from the flock. It's easier to pick them off one at a time. When people start missing the worship gatherings at their local church, it is wise to see if you smell "wolf" in the air. Maybe they are sick, maybe it is something much more dangerous.

Once he has got them alone, he begins to terrorize them. He howls blood-curdling accusations at them, speaking guilt and condemnation. He then begins to come at them from different sides. His goal is to keep their eyes off of the Shepherd. He has to keep them blind to the fact that the Shepherd is near by, or else they would call out for help. He keeps them helpless and hopeless, so they think that crying out would be useless.

They have forgotten that the gospel informs us that our condemnation has fallen on Jesus. He paid for our sin on the cross. This truth doesn't give us the authority to sin at will. It informs us of his gracious love towards us that saves us from sin--past, present, and future. It shapes in us the motivation to live righteous lives.

We must continually reach out to the harassed and helpless with the truth of the gospel. Jesus doesn't just want to save, he wants to shepherd. When the Lord is our Shepherd we shall not want. When the Lord is our Shepherd he guards us with his rod and staff. When the Lord is our Shepherd, we share in his desire to increase his flock the the proclamation of the gospel. We all like sheep went astray, but having been found by the Great Shepherd, we must seek to help the "lost" sheep we encounter find their way to the Shepherd.