Christ is the Good Shepherd!

This month we will look at Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, from John chapter 10 and Psalm 23. Jesus says that He is the door of the sheep (John 10:7), He is the Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep (John 10:11), He knows them, and they know Him (John 10:14), hear His voice, and follow Him (John 10:27). The Bible shows us the relationship between God the Father and His children and the Good Shepherd and His sheep. It is a loving, caring relationship. We were created to need Him and to have our needs met by Him!

Why do we need a Good Shepherd? Sheep go astray (Isaiah 53:6), need guidance (Psalm 95:7), and are vulnerable (John 10:1-6). But sheep are valuable to the Good Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20). A Good Shepherd takes care of the sheep and doesn’t abandon them or hurt them but always leads, protects, and provides for them. It is okay to be a needy sheep to be loved and cared for by the strong, gentle Shepherd. We can relinquish control to Him, who only has our good in mind.

Let’s look at Psalm 23:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:1 – 6

Our Heavenly Father is El Roi, the God who sees (Genesis 16:13; ), and His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Lord, the Good Shepherd. The Old Testament writers portrayed El Roi as a personal God who cared about His people and had His eye upon them at all times (Ezekiel 34:11-16, 31; Micah 5:4).

He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young. Isaiah 40:11

The prophecy of a coming, caring Shepherd is fulfilled in the New Testament in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the Good Shepherd, Chief Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, and the Shepherd of our souls (John 10:11; 1 Peter 5:4; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter2:25).

In Psalm 23, David invites us to see the character of our God as a Shepherd and how He cares for His sheep. Just as David knew what his sheep needed, so El Roi knows what we need. I want to encourage you to take time this week to meditate on Psalm 23. Invite God to open your heart to receive a fresh revelation of who He is and how He wants to care for you. Like sheep, we can fear many things, i.e., pain and hurt, fear of being abandoned, lack of safety, fear of not having enough, fear of not being loved and accepted by God, etc. But we don’t have to suffer under the weight of sin and Satan. Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who wants to bring you into His sheepfold and give you eternal life (John 10:28).

The first five words of the Psalm declare the LORD is my Shepherd. Is He your Shepherd? Jesus proves He is the Good Shepherd because He lay down His life for us, the sheep. Jesus Christ chose us, bought us with His precious blood, calls us by name, and makes us His very own!

If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Good Shepherd, you can do that right now. You can experience God’s love, peace, reconciliation by the blood of Jesus, the power of His resurrection, and have a personal relationship with Him. Pray this suggested prayer out loud right now. You can also pray in your own words. Remember, it is not words or prayer alone that will save you. Prayer is a way to reach out to the Lord and must be done in faith (completely trusting in Him to save you). Christ will save you if you pray these or similar words in faith.

Heavenly Father,

Your Word says that whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved. I ask You to forgive me for my sins. I repent and want to turn from them and turn to You. I am calling on You and ask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life. I believe that Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for me. I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead, and He is alive today. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me the Holy Spirit to live inside of me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and Your healing power in my life. I now belong to You. Help me to live for You and obey You all the days of my life.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

If you prayed for salvation in faith, you are now a child of God and are in His family (John 1:12; Romans 8:16). Go to my website and check out some steps on how to grow in your relationship with Him! https://alexiscarucci.com/welcome-to-gods-family/

El Roi, the God who sees, knows what we need and will come to meet with us, refresh, provide and comfort us. Who or what do you turn to in your times of need, stress, or worry?

God is the help of those who seek Him.

I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out, and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. Psalm 121:1 – 8

Join me next week as we dig deeper into Psalm 23 to see all the Blessings the Good Shepherd has for us when we turn to Him!