“I am your Shepherd,” the Holy Spirit reminded me as He spoke to my heart. “You are my sheep.”
He continued. “Do not lead.”
Was He done? No. There was more. “I am the Shepherd,” He said.
There was more still, but enough said for this message.
The Lord is the Great Shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd. He is THE Shepherd to those who repent, turn to Him as Lord, believe in His death and resurrection, and devote their lives to God and His ways. To those who are subsequently forgiven, promised forever life with Him, and who are indwelt by His Holy Spirit. To those who live for Jesus. To those who love and obey Jesus. To those who live to love and glorify and praise and worship and honor and adore God almighty. He is our Shepherd.
May seem obvious, but oh how quick we can be to forget this and/or to disregard this. SHEPHERD LEAD THEIR SHEEEP. SHEEP DO NOT LEAD THEIR SHEPHERDS.
We are not merely to say we believe in the Lord. We are not merely to praise and worship the Lord. We are to follow the Lord. We, who are His sheep, are to follow the Lord as He the Great Shepherd leads us forth!
Oh, let it be true of all who profess Jesus Christ as Lord that we strive day by day to seek, hear, wait upon, and follow the leading of our Good Shepherd. Hallelujah, praise the Lord!
When our hearts are filled with pride, when we are afraid, when we neglect to put our trust in the Lord, and/or when we go running off in the flesh and forget we are called to be filled with and led by God’s Holy Spirit etc., it is then we fail to follow the Great Shepherd’s lead. It is then we must humble ourselves, and repent, and return to where we belong. Abiding in Jesus, submitted to the Lord, surrendered to Him, yielded to Him, looking to Him, putting our trust in Him, resting in Him, finding hope and strength in Him. And, in His love and mercy, by the power of the Spirit of Christ, we are to follow our beloved Shepherd as He leads on lovingly and blessedly on!
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” John 10:11-16 KJV
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” Psalms 23:1-6 KJV
Lord, for all those who believe in you as Lord, please, in your love and mercy, patiently, dear Father, please teach us, help us, empower us, and bless us with the desire, willingness, and ability to humble ourselves before you and to follow you as your beloved sheep as you our beloved Great Shepherd lead us day by day and forevermore! And, for those reading this who are not yet your sheep, and do not yet know you as their Good Shepherd, please Father draw them to yourself, lead them to repentance, give them the faith to believe in you as Lord, help them to understand the Gospel message, bring someone or some people or myself or a Gospel tract or a dream or a vision or in any way you desire help them to understand the Gospel, cause them to surrender their lives to you, oh Lord, bring them into your blessed forever sheepfold, and teach them to follow you today and forever and ever, AMEN!
“So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.” Psalms 79:13 KJV
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” John 10:27-28 KJV