"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1
Throughout the Bible, God’s people are regularly referred to as sheep. He gives commands to different people to be the shepherd over His people, and Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd. He also give stern warning to people who distress the flock instead of caring for it.
When many people think about sheep, they think about sheep being dumb and stupid. It’s a little harsh, but there’s some truth to it. For example, this was a real news story from 2013:
"Hundreds of sheep followed their leader off a cliff in eastern Turkey, plunging to their deaths this week while shepherds looked on in dismay. Four hundred sheep fell 15 metres (50 feet - a 4 story building!) to their deaths in a ravine in Van province near Iran but broke the fall of another 1,100 animals who survived. Shepherds from a nearby village neglected the flock while eating breakfast, leaving the sheep to roam free. The loss to local farmers was estimated at $74,000."
When I first heard this story, I got mad. The shepherds had one job - to protect their sheep, and they completely blew it. The sheep died because the shepherds neglected the flock. The sheep, in that moment, had no shepherd, and it led to their demise.
As I've been praying for Lifehouse, our after school youth ministry, the Lord's really pressed on my heart that these youth and teens are sheep without a shepherd. They have no one to lead them to green pastures and still waters. They are prone to wander, prey to many dangers in the world around them – and they often don’t realize it!
As these students come to Lifehouse, we have the incredible privilege to shepherd them, just as the Lord is our Shepherd.
To say that the Lord is your Shepherd is a bold statement. When you say it, you declare that God is the number one authority in your life: He leads you to green pastures and still waters, places where life is found. He leads you on paths of righteousness for His name sake. His rod and staff – tools of both protection and discipline – are a comfort to you.
When the Lord is your Shepherd, you have everything you need, and deep relationship with the Shepherd – Jesus explains in John 10 that His sheep know His voice, and they follow Him. And as the Good Shepherd, He lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:14-15).
Pray for us as we shepherd these students, that more would come into the flock, and that as we shepherd them, that the Lord would become their Shepherd too.
-Martin