How well do you look after things that do not belong to you? Often when people have the use of others' things they do not look after them the way they would look after their own possessions!
You will be very glad to hear in this story that this is not always true, especially when you realise that the object to be looked after is YOU! Are YOU being well looked after?
The Lord Jesus once said, "The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep." (verses 12-13.)
Many people are like those sheep! Their enemy, the Devil (1st Peter 5:8.), is making an awful mess of their lives, and of their families. Their spiritual "shepherds" are not able to give the comfort or help or protection needed; they are “hired hands" not having the love or the power to help.
But that is not true about the One who said, "I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me - just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father - and I lay down My life for the sheep." (verses 14-15.)
Maybe you think it is strange that any man would give, or even risk, his life for his animals! Here is something that is even more strange - Why would the great Creator God want to come and give His life for sinful, ungrateful creatures like me and you? (Psalm 8:4. John 3:16-19)
God showed His great love for us by sending His Son to be the Good Shepherd for all who would trust in Him - a Shepherd who willingly gave His own life to rescue the sheep from certain destruction by the Evil One.
All other so-called "shepherds" are unable to deliver us from evil. But JESUS CAN. "He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them." (Hebrews 7:24-25.)
Jesus was able to say, "The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life - only to take it up again. No-one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father." (verses 17-18.)
It is NOT EVERYONE who can truly say, "The Lord is my Shepherd". (Psalm 23:1.) First they must realise that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gave His life in order to be able to forgive and save them. Then they, in faith, have to trust Jesus to forgive all their sins and depend on Him to be the only "gate" that can get them to God. (John 10:9. 1st Peter 3:18.)
When a person trusts in Jesus like that, then he/she can rightly claim to have found the "Great Shepherd" (Hebrews 13:20-21.) who will never abandon His "sheep". (Hebrews 13:5-6. 2nd Thessalonians 3:3.) He is the One who is able to deliver them from evil, and protect them, and who will lead them into His eternal presence in Heaven. (Psalm 23. 2nd Peter 1:1-4.)
Read about Jesus the Shepherd, and of His desire for others to come to Him and belong to Him (verse 16) in John's Gospel chapter 10, verses 10-18.
John Nixon, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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