Shepherd, Lead Me

The Sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. (John 10:3)

Do you ever have days when you feel unimportant? Like no one cares? Bad news outpaces the good? It is easy to get lost in those kinds of thoughts when the ways of the world press in on us. The image of the Good Shepherd always helps me to banish those thoughts. God calls his sheep by name and leads them out. “He knows your name. In fact, your name is written on the hand of God.” (Isaiah 49:16) Your name is on God’s hand and on his lips. That can certainly dispel feelings of insignificance and thoughts that no one cares.

Gospel stories help us to see so many people whom we might label as insignificant or unimportant, but Jesus loved them and cared for them. We see Jesus care for the masses, but he also cares for each individual. Jesus scans the crowd looking just for you. And the ones that nobody else sees, Jesus lovingly sees. That brings my thoughts back to sheep. I love seeing sheep out in the pastures. But truly, when I see sheep, I see a flock. How differently a shepherd sees. He sees individuals. He calls them by name.

I think when we delve into stories about Jesus’ earthly ministry, we find that the common folk really enjoyed being with him. Jesus could have been highbrow or uppity. He could have been a name-dropper. He could have been a show-off. He was none of these things. He went to great pains to be as human as the guy down the street. There is no hint in scripture that Jesus ever used his heavenly status for personal gain. Jesus was a likeable fellow.

This is the voice that calls us. The one who actually made himself seem insignificant, but who was the most significant being to ever walk on earth. He is the one whom we try to emulate each day. We can be sure that events happened in Jesus’ life that pressed in on him. He knew when to pull back and find time for solitude. He knew when he needed to go off to a quiet place to pray. But, I don’t think that Jesus ever sat around brooding that he was not good enough. His focus was never on himself but always on others.

Could it be that God has placed you here on earth for some very special reason? Maybe your past isn’t much to brag about. But you have a choice to make. Do you rise above your past and make a difference or do you let that past continue to control you while you merely make excuses?

Do you sink into “If Only” mode?

If only my parents had more money…

If only I had been born in a different area…

If only I would have gotten some breaks…

You can quickly cure that “If Only” mode. Remember, your parents gave you genes, but God gives you GRACE. You get eternity from your Heavenly Father. God does not leave you adrift.

Matthew 11:28 has always seemed to be a kind verse in the Bible, just like the shepherd calling out to his sheep: “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” Jesus tells us that he is the solution for the weariness of our past. We just need to go to him. Be honest with him. Go ahead.

There is nothing in our pasts that we need to keep replaying in our heads. Many of the Biblical characters we encounter had pasts that were less than stellar, but God used them. He doesn’t have to, but God keeps his promises, and he calls us again and again.

The next time that you feel as though you want to give up, don’t. We have a God who is constantly fighting for us. He is loving us more than we will ever comprehend. He is whispering gently at all times. Like the sheep in the flock, we just need to trust the shepherd. Our job is to pray and wait. Oh, and realize how very important we are to him.