THE GOOD SHEPHERD

True shepherds are not hired hands. They are totally invested, emotionally and physically, in their sheep. They are dedicated to the well-being of the herd. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is our Good Shepherd, who is totally invested in us. He is steadfast in His everlasting love (Psalm 103:17). He has chosen us to be His very own; He considers us “His people”, His chosen possession (1 Peter 2:9,10 ESV). We are special to Him (Titus 2:14). Jesus is fully dedicated and devoted to us. Jesus Himself confirms He is the Good Shepherd who is willing to risk everything and lay down His life for His sheep (John 10:11). And He demonstrated the full extent of His commitment when He suffered and was crucified. As a shepherd, David knew the sacrifices and qualities it took to be a shepherd. David describes the times that he fought the lion and the bear to save his sheep (1 Samuel 17:34-37). With this knowledge, David confirmed, “The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack” (Psalm 23:1 Amp). David knew the hallmarks of a shepherd, and he knew God was qualified to be his Good Shepherd. Do you know Him as your Good Shepherd? Does He qualify for this position in your life?

During the time of recent emotional struggle due to the death of my sister, followed shortly after by the death of a lifelong friend, I found myself feeling miserable and irritated. I was not expressing this emotion, praise God! But I was certainly feeling it, and it was unpleasant. During this time, I was studying about the Good Shepherd. I was gaining information, but apparently lacked in understanding because the Lord confirmed this to me: “You call me Good Shepherd, but you don’t act like it!” Ouch! He was right. This caused me to reflect deeper into the characteristics of the only Good Shepherd, seeking Him for revelation, so it would impact my life, and I could live from this place of understanding. We are His special possession, and He desires to care for us with steadfast devotion because of His unchanging and everlasting love… This is the starting place of understanding.

Our Good Shepherd is “El-Roi,” meaning “The God Who Sees Me”. This is not a casual look, but a deep concern. Jesus is vigilant and observant, as He watches over us and cares for our needs. He “never sleeps or slumbers” (Psalm 121:4). We cannot flee from His presence; He perceives every moment of our lives (Psalm 139:2). This is the kind of Good Shepherd I want looking out for me! Gaining understanding of these truths requires intimacy, which results in our ability to experience the blessings of our Good Shepherd.

As Jesus is attentive to us, watching carefully over our lives, He knows when we wander. Even in our wandering that takes us away from Him, He pursues us, bringing us back to Him, back to safety. He is not appalled by our behavior, but instead, remains faithful to His position as our Shepherd. He is always attentive and always alert, desiring us to return to His love and care, much like the prodigal son was welcomed to return to his father.

During storms, the shepherd uses his voice and ability to comfort and soothe the sheep, preventing them from panicking and directing them to safety. The sheep know their master’s voice and follow his direction. Our Good Shepherd does the same thing for us, but we must know His voice through intimacy with Him. Intimacy allows us to know Him and His skill, and to trust Him. We need Jesus to guide us during trouble and temptation so that we are not subject to anxiety or worry under pressure, which is trying to crush us. Under such pressure, the might of the Good Shepherd sustains us to experience victory in and through Him, so that we are not defeated! We may be weak as human beings, but we are strong in the Lord (2 Corinthians 4:8,9).

A shepherd is always for the good of the sheep. Our Good Shepherd also has good plans for our lives: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). When we press into Jesus, into His provision, we experience the abundance that He died to give us; Jesus “came that we may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)” (John 10:10 Amp). We should be content in the care of our capable Good Shepherd.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, provides us with the security we need to rest and experience peace. Sheep rest when they are free from fear, tension, aggravations of pests, and hunger. The shepherd helps to provide these conditions. We experience rest because Jesus is our caretaker, vigilant, watchful, and capable; therefore, we trust Him, and our tensions are relieved; our confidence is in His provision and care. There is no substitute for knowing with confidence that Jesus is constantly with us, watchful and skilled at caring for us. Revelation of this should cause us to rest and experience peace.

Our thirst in life can misdirect us to worldly things when all the while what we need is Jesus! It is a spiritual thirst we have that the world cannot fulfill. Just like shepherds know the best watering holes, so Jesus knows exactly what will satisfy our thirst, and He provides. Only He can fill our longing. Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37-39).

Sheep have the opportunity to get themselves in trouble just like we do. Therefore, they require careful handling and directions from the shepherd. The shepherd knows their destructive behaviors and knows exactly how to manage them. He takes action so they will thrive. Sometimes our patterns of behavior are like the sheep. We may decide at times to follow our own paths and desires, which lead us to trouble. This may be referred to as stubborn ways (Isaiah 53:6). We may follow the world instead of God. But God approaches us gently and in love: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light, so follow Me (John 14:6). He is the Source of our abundance (John 10:10). We must be willing to follow the Shepherd who delights in showing us the way and giving us His best.

Our Good Shepherd guides us with His staff, which is symbolic of the Spirit of God, confirmation of His Spirit with us, which confirms His love, kindness, and care. It is symbolic of His concern and compassion. The staff is a reference to the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was preparing to suffer and die for us, He confirmed that He would give us His Holy Spirit as our Comforter; we would never be alone (John 14:16,17). The Shepherd’s rod is reflective of His protection, which is His power, strength, and authority. Nothing can overtake us when we are in the hands of our Good Shepherd!

We experience God’s best because of the Good Shepherd. We experience His ability to resist satan and expect him to flee from us as we humble ourselves in surrender to our Shepherd (James 4:7). As we abide in Jesus, we experience the power of His name against all the tactics and lies of the enemy (Philippians 2:9,10).

We need a Good Shepherd! We cannot live victoriously without Him! In the loving care of the Good Shepherd, we are secure in His unfailing love and kindness that are with us all the days of our lives! If He remains our dwelling place, our lives are lived in peace and confident expectation in Him, the Greater One. Challenges may come, but during the challenge, we are confident in the Shepherd, who is skillful in caring for us and delights to be our Caretaker. He is our resting place…we are secure and thrive because Jesus is our Good Shepherd.

(Based on Psalm 23 and “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23” by Phillip Keller)