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“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” Psalms 23:1
We tend to focus on the love and caring of the Good Shepherd, and why not? Jesus refers to himself as a good shepherd and contrasts that with the way an evil shepherd is. David was one of a long line of shepherds in the Old Testament. God seems to have a soft spot in his heart for shepherds.
Many of us have ingrained in our minds the Sunday School pictures of the good shepherd carrying a lamb on his shoulders or rescuing a lamb from a life-threatening situation, and we feel good knowing we are loved, cared for and protected by our shepherd.
But the elephant in the corner, you know it, the huge issue no one really wants to think about is that one does not need a shepherd unless one is a sheep! Sheep are dependent on a shepherd because, as one farmer told me, “they are just so dumb”! They can’t care for themselves. Completely dependent. Completely ignorant. Dumb.
We don’t want to be sheep, but unless we become sheep-like we won’t be able to take full advantage of a loving, caring, powerful, wise shepherd.
Be a sheep.
In nearly every sermon or article on giving and/or money i’ve heard, this verse or it’s OT counterpart has been mentioned. Maybe it’s time we broaden our giving horizons! We live in a society in which negativity, lack of hope and loneliness are rampant. The principle of this verse goes far beyond the almighty dollar! To have a friend, be a friend; to be heard, listen to others; to be accepted when your beliefs may be different than others, accept others right to be ‘wrong’; to be loved unconditionally, love unconditionally; to receive patience, be patient. Don’t wait for others. Be the start of something great in your life! Receiving starts with giving.
It’s interesting that when Jesus offered up his last prayer before his death he prayed for unity among believers. Unity is impossible when hatred is present. Love of the brethren is, in some ways more important than loving the ‘pagan’ because we are being watched. When I ask people who don’t attend church why they don’t, most of the answers center around church politics and hypocrisy. We say love the sinner and hate the sin but that starts in the church, in the body of Christ, the Family of Believers. It was the love/unity of the body that attracted people to the early church and people haven’t changed that much! All of us have people that annoy us for a variety of reasons — things they have done; personality conflicts; actions they have taken. Yet first and foremost we need to see others as God’s creation, not define them by their actions. We don’t love them because of who they are, we love them because of who Gd is. Jesus died for us when we were at our worst, the least we can do is to love others when they are at their worst through the power of the Holy Spirit working within us.
Whether you believe in the whole virgin birth thing or not, one has to admit that during the Christmas season, the focus of our society turns towards love, joy and peace. History has shown that even the most brutal battles have taken time-out for Christmas.
The three words “I Love You” are full of a variety of meanings. When I say I love you it could be because I want something from you; when I say I love you it could mean you have done something that makes me happy. Often people equate the feeling of happiness and belonging as being love. But authentic love, the love that comes from God is so much deeper than that.
Man’s love says “I’ll love you if”; God’s love says “I love you regardless. Man’s love says, “I may love you today, but tomorrow I may fall out of love; God’s love says, “nothing you can say or do will keep me from loving you. Man’s love says, “I can’t forgive you for that; God’s love says, “I’ll forgive you again, and again and again.” Man’s love can be unfaithful; God’s love is always faithful.
Authentic love can only be found when we find God for he showed his love through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Pardon me but your log is showing. Have you ever noticed that the person who is the most critical of everything and everyone is often angry? There is an old saying that goes “unhappy people make people unhappy” and there is truth in that old adage. The psalmist writes “search me and know me.” Those are wise words for they invite divine and personal introspection. When we see ourselves as God sees us it is hard to be arrogant and critical because we realize the depth of our own depravity. The arrogant have no filters. They scream out all the faults of others with complete disregard for their own faults. The humble speak truth in love realizing that only Christ can change the hearts of those who attack us. Arrogance attacks; humility builds up through love.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 