I WILL FIND YOU

 OCTOBER 19, 2022

John 10:11

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Let start today by considering our own tendencies to wander from God. Think about a moment when “prone to wander” played out in your life and think about how the knowledge and pursuit of God’s love and grace drew you back more closely to him. Take a moment right now and give thanks for God’s provision and care of you his precious child. (PAUSE)

John 10 reminds us that Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, laid down His life for you and me. He pursues us when we are lost and have relapsed into our wandering ways.

What is the characteristic of a shepherd? The answer to this is revealed in scripture, think about how King David portrays God as the shepherd in Psalm 23. There the shepherding God, provided nourishment and rest. He guided them, leading the way. He was intimately involved with the flock and concerned for the safety of everyone. He was willing to sacrifice his own comfort, even his own life, for the sake of his sheep. The focus of a good shepherd was on his flock and their provision, guidance, and safety.

Jesus shares this metaphor of a shepherd to help us understand both our own situation, and our value to God. We need a shepherd, and Jesus is willing not only to lead us, but also to lay down His life for us, the ultimate sacrifice to bring us back into the safety of God’s flock.

Ezekiel 34 tells us God's promise,

"I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. . . I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, ... I will shepherd the flock with justice."

LET US PRAY

Be our shepherd, O Lord,
and bless us with all good things
that we may be refreshed
with your overflowing cup
and dwell in your house forever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ludolph of Saxony, d. 1378

 (a German  theologian of the fourteenth century.His principal work, first printed in the 1470s, was the Vita Christi (Life of Christ) and has had an influence on the value of Christian Meditation)