Matthew 9:36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Sheep, like the majority of people, are followers who like to stick together. When sheep are startled or attacked, the first one to flee will be the one the others pursue mindlessly, even when the eventual destination is the edge of a cliff.
Sound familiar?
A flock, be it of sheep or of people, depends upon a good shepherd to guard and protect them. Without wise leadership and guidance, we wander away, lose our focus, fall off the cliff. Sticking together means nothing if the direction we take is wrong.
In today's scripture, Jesus' heart goes out to the crowds, the sheep without a shepherd. They are harried, hassled, lost, and in desperate need to be pointed in the right direction. God's direction.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the only One who can protect us from the wolves of this world, and lead us to the lush, green pastures of His way, His truth, and His life. Just as sheep readily learn the face and voice of their good shepherd and obey, so must we.
Can you see the face of Jesus? Can you hear His voice? Are you placing all your trust, obediently, in Him? Trust, and He will lead you beside the still waters of peace and rest in Him.
"All we like sheep have gone astray.
All we like sheep have wandered away.
All we like sheep must learn to obey, and
Follow Him, follow Him, follow Him each day." ~ Kathie Hill
Readings
Psalms 137:1-6 (7-9), 144 or 104
Jeremiah 35:1-19
1 Corinthians 12:27-13:3
Matthew 9:35-10:4
I think it's all too easy in this world to stray from our focus on Jesus. This was a great reminder! May we all seek to come into his fold, into his loving embrace and seek all things through him so we might live lives holy and pure and worthy of our King!
ReplyDeleteAmen, Jessica! We must seek all things through Him without question.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by!
Blessings!
And we should lead not by rhetoric, but by example, not by criticism, but by testimony, not by imposing our own scriptural will, but by introducing the scriptures to those who have not heard or learned them, and let the Word of God instill faith in the faithless.
ReplyDeleteI was reminded this morning of the role Jesus played, living among the sinners, associating with sinners, and thereby being cast by the preachers of the day as a sinner, guilt by association. Much of the present day fundamentalist Gospel preaching would place Jesus Christ, Himself, as a sinner. Those preachers ought to take the plank out of there own eye before they remove a spec from someone else's.
We should lead through example and by extolling the Word of God, not by criticizing and condemning others who are doing just that.
Thanks, Martha. As happens very often, your morning devotion plays right into what is on my mind at the moment.
Thanks, Hank, for your wonderful, always thoughtful, comments!
ReplyDeleteSo true - if we lead by example and truly follow Christ, there will be no room in our lives to point out the iniquities of others. We will be too busy praying for them and showing God's love to them.
Blessings to you!