The Lord Is My Shepherd.
We can read all throughout John 10, where Jesus tells us that He is the Good Shepherd. Jesus is God’s own Son—He came to earth from Heaven to show us God’s love. He tells us that He and the Father are one. So, when we say, “The Lord” is my Shepherd, we’re talking about God, the Father, and we’re talking about Jesus, His Son.
What does He mean by the Good Shepherd? Well, a shepherd cares for, guides, and protects his sheep. So, is Jesus talking about some little wooly animals that He loves here on earth? No, not at all! That wouldn’t really have much to do with us. Actually, we, as people, are a lot like sheep; and we all need a shepherd. A shepherd for sheep can just be a normal person who takes care of them. But we need more than that. We don’t just need a shepherd; we need The Shepherd—The Lord—to care for, guide, and protect us.
“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 . . .” – John 10: 14, 15
Jesus tells us that He knows His sheep and they know Him. What does it mean to “know” somebody? How is that different from just knowing “about” somebody? To “know” somebody is to have a close relationship—knowing someone very personally. The Lord is telling us that, when we’re His, He knows us! The God of the Universe knows you! And, He wants us to know Him personally. Wow!
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.” – John 10:27
He also tells us that His sheep listen to His voice. What does it mean to listen to someone? Well, it means to pay attention to what they say, to understand what they say, and to follow what they teach you. Sheep listen to their shepherd. They trust him because they’ve spent so much time with him. Day after day and night after night, the shepherd is with his sheep, providing the very best for them. They hear his voice constantly and depend on him from moment to moment.
In the midst of uncertainty, fear, or sadness, we can know that The Shepherd is with us, and that He is providing what we need. When we are feeling scared, we can find peace in knowing that The Shepherd is looking out for us and protecting us. When we are feeling alone, we can be comforted by the fact that The Shepherd will never leave our side. No matter what we face, we can always rest assured that… The Lord is My Shepherd!
Family Devotion:
1. How does it feel to know that Jesus, as The Shepherd, sees you, knows you personally, and wants you to know Him?
2. What are ways we can listen to Jesus, The Shepherd?
3. What does a shepherd do for his sheep? How does it make you feel that The Shepherd (The Lord) does that for you?
We hope you enjoyed this devotion from our team. Today’s post was written by Tyler Nowicki.