Middle eastern cultures understood what shepherding was all about.  It was about feeding the sheep, guiding them to good pasture lands, leading them to water, grooming and shearing them, delivering new lambs, teaching them to stay together while leading them, going after the wandering lost ones, and protecting the sheep at all times.

I once read a sermon about shepherds, which pointed out that if we follow the Good Shepherd, we automatically become “under shepherds”–we are shepherds in training.  We need to emulate what the Good Shepherd does for the sheep, and then go out and do the same for others.

John 21:15-17 says:

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep”.

There are many other aspects of this deep passage I could dwell on. For example, The Greeks had four words to describe what we call love, Eros, (romantic love), Phileo, (enjoyment, fondness, friendship), Storge (family loyalty) and Agape (unconditional love with stick-ability).

In this passage, the Lord’s use of the word love is “agape”—unconditional love. Peter’s use of the word love was “phileo”, or friendship, fondness love. The love that Peter referenced is very different from the love that Jesus was calling him (and us) to display. Peter loved Jesus; he had a close friendship with Jesus. But Peter, like us, had trouble with the stick-ability of unconditional love.

It is with agape love that the Good Shepherd loves us. It is with agape love that He wants us to love others.

Jesus wants us to see that everyone around us is a sheep. Remember all the descriptions of sheep from last week? They are sometimes stupid and stubborn. And yet, we are supposed to love them and feed them—provide for them, meet their needs, teach them about the Living Water and the Bread of Life—and we are supposed to love them not just with casual friendship, but also with unconditional agape love.

In Biblical days, people would not have had to study about shepherds. This was their culture. This was their livelihood. But we do need to study this because it makes it even more clear that Jesus is our good—no, our great—shepherd. He is the one and only. And He has made some promises to us that we can tap into. Promises to give us abundant life. Today, I challenge you to let that abundant life and abundant love from the Father overflow to others around you. Praying for you today!

Sara

The past two days we have been learning about the responsibilities of shepherds so we can better understand the role of Jesus as our Good Shepherd. Here is our working list:

• Most shepherds take care of sheep, although they may be responsible for goats as well. Many shepherds must be on call for their animals around the clock. In the same way, our Good Shepherd is always on call!
• A shepherd’s primary responsibility is the safety and welfare of the flock. He is our faithful and trustworthy GOOD Shepherd.

And now a third:

3) Unlike other animals that shed their hair in the spring, many breeds of sheep must be shorn — have their fleece cut off with shears or clippers. An experienced shepherd is expected to shear up to 125 ewes a day without nicking or cutting the skin, and to remove the fleece intact.

Shearing is a Shepherd’s harvest. It is the time that the “fruit” of the “crop” of sheep is gathered.

John 15:16 says:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

Even if the “harvest” is not for the benefit of others, it is healthiest for the sheep. Wool sheep cannot be left to go without shearing. The wool continually grows and will become heavy, soiled and unhealthy if not annually sheared.

Whatever is growing in you—in your heart and soul and spirit, in your actions and words—that is your wool. Sometimes it is pretty and helpful to others. That is when it is a good harvest for the Lord. Sometimes it is dirty and unhealthy. It still needs to be sheared and shared. Even the dirtiest wool has purpose. God can use any and every situation for His Glory.

A sheep without her fleece is pretty naked looking, and her nakedness exposes a lot. On shearing day any flaws in the ranch feed and health program are glaringly obvious.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 says:

Now all has been heard;

    here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

    for this is the duty of all mankind.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,

    including every hidden thing,

    whether it is good or evil.

These are sobering words.  We would do well to remind ourselves of this verse on a daily basis!  If your “shearing” reveals gaps in your spiritual health, use it as a time to make changes and move on. Ask the Lord of the Harvest to produce the good fruit of the Spirit in your life—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. With this fruit of the Spirit, you will experience the abundant life God intended for you to have, and you will bring glory to the One who saved your soul. Praying for you today!

Sara

Yesterday, we began to look at the responsibilities of shepherds and how this helps us better understand Jesus, our Good Shepherd. We began our list with the following:

• Most shepherds take care of sheep, although they may be responsible for goats as well. Many shepherds must be on call for their animals around the clock. In the same way, our Good Shepherd is always on call!

Let’s add another to our list.

2.) A shepherd’s primary responsibility is the safety and welfare of the flock.

So many times we think we are in control of our lives. We think we can control our children, our spouses, ourselves. We think as long as we are diligent, we will be fine. But we are not really in control, are we? Anyone who has gotten one of those devastating calls in the middle of the night knows that all too well.

But you know who is in control? God is in control. He is the blessed Controller of all things. If we are surrendered to Him, we do have access to the true safety that comes from Good Shepherd. That does not mean bad things won’t happen. It does mean that whatever happens will be filtered through His love. He will bring about good in us and through us in any and all circumstances, as we are promised in Romans 8:28.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.

Sometimes we don’t understand. But we still must trust the Good Shepherd. Do you remember that sheep sometimes get cast down? A sheep is “cast down” when it is turned over on its back and cannot get up again. A cast sheep will die if its owner does not get to it in time to right it. When a shepherd rights a cast sheep, he must rub her limbs to restore circulation so she can walk again. That’s where we get the word “downcast.” Have you ever been downcast, feeling that you have been knocked down and can’t get back up?

Psalm 42:5-6 says: “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Today, my friends, trust in the Lord. Fight the desire to be in control, and hand the control over to the only One who can be trusted to handle every detail. Submit to Him, surrender to Him, and rejoice in the fact that He cares about every hair on your head, every fear in your heart, every detail of your life. What a great God!

Praying for you today!

Sara

PS Take a look at this video of my sweet Sally teaching her brother Proverbs 3:5-6!

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Last week, I shared with you all the fun facts about sheep that I found in my Google search. This week, I have equally fun facts about shepherds. These are not Christian websites I found–just websites that discuss duties of shepherds. Here’s what I found:

1.) Most shepherds take care of sheep, although they may be responsible for goats as well. Many shepherds must be on call for their animals around the clock.

In the same way, our Good Shepherd is always on call! Having been married to a doctor for almost 24 years, I know what that means.

It means whatever time of day or night you need him, he is available.

It means on holidays and summer breaks He is available.

It means even if you just have a question, He is available.

All you have to do is call.

Let’s look at Psalm 121:3-5.

He will not let your foot slip—

    he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel

    will neither slumber nor sleep. 

The Lord watches over you—

    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

                                                           Psalm 121:3-5

What should our response be to this be?

• Trust.  First of all, our response to this 24/7 on-call Shepherd should be trust. He is not sleeping. He is watching over you always. No emergency is a surprise to him, nothing shakes Him up. He is the creator of the Universe, for heaven’s sake. He is able to take care of any need you have.
• Encouragement.  Encourage yourself in the truth that your Shepherd is a good Shepherd, the only true good Shepherd. And He is yours. Encourage yourself in this truth and then encourage someone else.
• Gratefulness.  Thank Him today that He cares so greatly for you. Thank Him that He will never leave you nor forsake you. Thank Him that He cared so much He left heaven for earth so He could suffer and die for you. He would do anything for you and He already has done everything for you.

So, those are the three words for today. Trust, Encouragement, Gratefulness. Let this be our response to the abundant gifts the Good Shepherd paid so great a price to give us. Praying for you today!

Sara

The last three days we have been answering the question: “What is abundant life NOT?” This is our current list:

1. Abundant Life is NOT equal to material wealth.
2. Abundant Life is NOT equal to the approval of man.
3. Abundant Life is NOT a picture-perfect life.

Today I want to add one more to the list.

4. Abundant Life is NOT found when everything is going just as we want it to—because life on this earth will never be exactly just the way we want it.

I will confess to you that rarely do I have perfect days—in fact, rarely do I have days that are even close to perfect. Our close friends have developed a new adjective. That adjective is the word, “Berry”. When something goes hysterically wrong, that is VERY BERRY.

For example, when I work so hard to get everyone ready to go somewhere, and we finally get off, one of the kids will inevitably forget something very important—like their shoes. And it is possible that we are able to drum up “shoes” for said child in the form of flippers or roller skates, which we find in the piles of mess in the back… That is VERY BERRY.

Or when I somehow miss the memo that the baseball team was wearing white pants instead of the gray ones, and my kid is THAT KID who shows up in gray…that is VERY BERRY.

Or when you drop your child off for the first day of Junior High and trash flies out the door when they get out, and they have to make their “debut” to Junior High by chasing down the hamburger wrapper…that is VERY BERRY.

You get my point, I am sure. So, here’s the deal. We all have VERY BERRY moments no matter how hard we try. Things will not go well for us all the time. Our plans are usually just that—plans. But that does not mean that our thwarted plans thwart our abundant life. In fact, if we can force ourselves to have a decent attitude about it, our thwarted plans can BE the abundant life. And at least we will have something to laugh about.

So today, my Friends, I hope you laugh. I hope you find something so funny to laugh about that tears stream down your cheeks and your belly aches. I love a laugh like that. Laughter and joy is what I wish for you this day. For those are indeed aspects of abundant life.

Praying for you!

Sara