Isaiah 40:11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Well a good Sunday morning to all you wonderful believers in Jesus, out there in this evil, ungodly, but still beautiful creation called Planet Earth! Lots of stuff might be ugly and evil, but as believers, we tend to see it all in positive terms of the light that’s Jesus, rather than the negative darkness that pervades the earth and way too many of its inhabitants. Once again we’re being greeted by another new morn filled with numerous new blessings and mercies, a promise that God has fulfilled since the beginning of time. And talking of promises, here’s a poem I recently came across on a torn piece of a magazine page. I don’t even know what magazine it came from, or who wrote it, but what it says is very applicable to our everyday lives. It’s titled God’s Promise, and says: ‘I will not fear; God is always with me. I will not doubt; God is always in control. I will not despair; God is always good. I will not falter; God is always watching. I will not fail; God is always victorious.’ And that my Friends, is eternal truth, encompassing the entire spectrum of our lives under Almighty God! From birth to everlasting time, we’re guaranteed those marvellous assurances. Wow! The doubters and unbelievers really don’t know what they’re missing nuh. And our Bit again ensures us of another powerful promise of our God, to look after us like a shepherd looks after his sheep. ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ Such an awesome promise my brethren! How can we not then LOVE and revere our very wonderful Creator eh? If I’m not mistaken, I believe I heard a pastor say the other day that the Good Book contains some three thousand promises. Mama Mia! But unfortunately, too many of us are too proud and foolish to accept and rely on them. That’s why our lives and our world are in such a state of turmoil and confusion. Now yesterday we ended by looking at some scripture that portrays God as a shepherd of His most worthy creation. And we ended with that wonderful passage from Ezekiel (34:10-16), where the Lord promises to destroy the wicked shepherds of earth and Himself become our shepherd. And continuing in that vein today, we must of course acknowledge possibly the greatest, or for sure, the most well known piece of scripture, the immortal words of Bruh David, forever enshrined in Psalm 23. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack). He maketh me to lie down in (lush) green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters (waters of rest). 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 (LOVING-kindness) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps.23:1-6) Oh Friends, right there in those few words we have all the things that a shepherd does for his flock, and Bruh David assures us that the Lord God Jehovah will also do all that for us. What more can we ask eh? Nothing really. Therefore, with so many prophets using the shepherd analogy to describe God, it was only logical for Jesus to refer to Himself as the Good Shepherd when He came to earth incarnated in human form. It was His role to shepherd the lost and unsaved of this sinful world. Hear Him tell it: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. And 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 (flock), and one shepherd.’ (John 10:14-16) Note the other fold Jesus speaks of is the Gentiles, who will be saved after the Jewish people. But He emphasizes that eventually there will only be ONE fold or flock and ONE Shepherd. So Friends, what are we waiting for eh, why are fighting Jesus, who only wants to save, to LOVE, to comfort and protect us? He’s even willing to go and find the one lost sheep from the flock, and then rejoice when He finds it. (Matt.18:12-14) Our heavenly Father doesn’t want to lose even one of His most precious and important creations to the evil Beelzebub. That’s how much He cares for us. And that’s why Peter could say: ‘For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet.2:25) Oh my people, the only difference between the human shepherd and the heavenly One, is that He also created us. So please, the wisest thing we can ever do is to turn to Him in sincerity and truth. Anything besides that is total foolishness, folly at its zenith! And we’ll end with some appropriate words from Hebrews. ‘Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect (complete) in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Heb.13:20-21) That says it all, my brethren! Much LOVE!…we’re all ONE flock…wisely following…ONE Good Shepherd…Jesus…
SCRIP-BITS 