He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. Isaiah 40:11 (NLT)
On the wall above my desk hangs a black and white sketch of a shepherd cuddling a lamb. The shepherd’s face is buried in the lamb’s fleece, one hand wrapped gently around the sheep as he snuggles it against his bosom. The smile on the lamb’s face is one of sheer happiness. He knows no fear because the lamb knows he’s loved. He knows he’s safe. He knows the shepherd will not let anything or anyone harm him. They would have to deal with the shepherd first.
How often I forget that lamb is me. I get so distracted by all that’s happening around me that I miss those precious moments with Jesus. I fail to pause and spend time simply soaking in His presence, basking in His love.
Jesus is our loving Shepherd. He is intimately acquainted with each one of us. He calls us by name. He cares about each sheep in His charge and concerns Himself with our every need. Some He gently leads, others He scoops up into His arms, holding them close to His heart.
Are you weary or discouraged? Do you feel like you can’t take another step? Are you having a hard time seeing the Good Shepherd right now? Maybe you need to look up instead of looking around. Maybe you can’t see His face because He’s not leading you – He’s holding you close to His bosom.
Prayer: Lord, when all around me is dark, remind me to look up and see your face. For it is when I am most needy that I am held closest to your heart. Amen.
Thought: “Jesus, the good shepherd, will not travel at such a rate as to overdrive the lambs. He has tender consideration for the poor and needy. Kings usually look to the interests of the great and the rich, but in the kingdom of our Great Shepherd He cares most for the poor… The weaklings and the sickly of the flock are the special objects of the Savior’s care… You think, dear heart, that you are forgotten, because of your nothingness and weakness and poverty. This is the very reason you are remembered.” Charles H. Spurgeon