A Good Shepherd, I would like to share about a good shepherd,
I read about A Good Shepherd and the writer said, He has two very important qualities. One, He knows His sheep. He calls them by name. That is, each and every one of His sheep He knows their name and calls them by their name.
The second trait of this Good Shepherd is that He is wiling to lay down His life for His sheep. On a cross this Good Shepherd ‘dismissed His spirit’ exercising a privilege God, His Father, had given Him. He was both the Lamb of God who gave His life for the whole world and the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep when He was nailed to a cross. Yet, He lives and is known as The Good Shepherd!
His knows your name but do you know His Voice? His sheep have only one role to play in this relationship of shepherd-sheep. Know His voice and follow only His Voice and no one can snatch you from His care.
If you would like to read more about this Good Shepherd check out John 10:1-42 found in a very valuable book collection called the Bible. For a little preview from this book, read with me verses 27-29. “My sheep hear My voice, I know them. They follow Me, and I give them life eternal. They will never perish into the Age. No one will snatch them out of My hand.”
Do you know His Voice?
thedailylily.com 
One defintion of ‘know’ is: To regard as true beyond doubt.
The Bible is His voice but we won’t be able to hear unless we read it or have it read to us.
When I read Sara’s suggested verses from John 10, I saw in vs 25 that Jesus had spoken many words but some of those that heard didn’t really ‘hear’ or ‘know’ His voice apparently because they asked Him to tell them again plainly. He said to them, “I did tell you, but you do not believe.”
So then one indicator we can measure our answer to the question “Do you know His voice?’ is, we show we know His voice by believing what He says and putting into practice.
Very insightful comment, Debi. Jesus sure told ’em straight up, “I told you but you did not believe.” How many times a day does someone tell me something and I don’t hear, or believe or don’t want to hear or believe. Maybe, just unwilling to hear His voice and follow.
AT the end of Chapter 10, we see Jesus, the good shepherd in the wilderness with a very small flock of sheep. Yes, ones that had heard His voice and followed. The little group of sheep said, “everything John has said about this man Jesus is true.” Verse 42 makes me want to stand and yell. “And, in that place many believed in Him.”
As I shared with Sara earlier that, what Debi wrote reminds me of the true account in John where Jesus healed the man born blind. The chief priests and pharisees persecuted the poor guy, grilling him with questions and even calling his parents in to testify that he had been born blind even though the man was over 40 years old. The whole town KNEW he was a blind beggar, including the temple personnel. But they kept denying that Jesus could have opened his eyes. The clinching exchange came when after another round of accusations and questionings, the man finally said….”I have already told that (Jesus opened my eyes. ) Why do you want to hear it, AGAIN? Do you want to become HIS disciples, too?” With that they bolted at him and yelled and insulted him and threw him out of the temple. They saw the miracle. They heard the testimony. They heard the witnesses. They knew the Word. But they DID NOT believe.
Like Abraham told the rich man perishing in hell, when he asked Abraham to send Lazarus to the rich man’s brothers to warn them about HELL. Abraham said, “They have Moses and the prophets. If they WILL NOT BELIEVE THEM then they will NOT BELIEVE even if one were to rise from the dead to tell them” That was a TRUTH. Jesus DID RISE FROM THE DEAD> And many still do NOT believe.
Your accounts MG are not very heartwarming. When one thinks A good Shepherd knows their name and calls them by name is so loving and kind. When we stop and think about being like unto a sheep we really realize how much we need a shepherd. I have heard that a sheep will follow his own nose right off a cliff. And, according to Jesus we are just like that. We need a good shepherd and we need to hear His voice and follow that voice and no other.
There are bad shepherds and I sure don’t want to hear the voice of a bad shepherd. Jesus said He is a good Shepherd. I like the adjective, good, don’t you?
In one account of THE GOOD SHEPHERD in Gospel of John , the Lord Jesus Christ says that not only do HIS sheep hear His voice and recognize it and follow it, but neither will they follow a stranger’s. In fact they will RUN AWAY from a stranger’s voice. Paul says there are many voices in the world, today. Boy, we sure are cognizant of that truth. If we are true sheep of the Lord’s pasture we will know His voice AND HEED IT. Psalm 23 says that the LORD is our Shepherd. We shall not be in dire need. He is a good and compassionate Shepherd. He lays His life down for His sheep. NOW there’s a clue right there.
So are we FOLLOWING the VOICE of the GOOD Shepherd? Debi says the Voice of the GOOD SHEPHERD is the Word of GOD. That’s the VOICE we follow. That doesn’t mean God doesn’t speak to us by His Spirit but the Word is the steady, thirst- quenching, health-giving , protective barrier from the onslaught of the wolves in sheep’s clothing and the little foxes that spoil the fruit of the vine.
“The Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not have want…” Psalm 23
Debi commented that the Word of God is the Voice of God. I awoke today thinking on such a magNIFicent wonder. This Voice came to me, “He sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction.” Psalm 107:20
Oh, how we need healing! Oh, how are nation needs healing! Oh, how Iceland and all Europe needs healing from this latest Volcano! Oh, how nations need healing from wars! What a comfort to hear the Voice of The Great Good Shepherd, I send My Word and I heal!
In A.W. Tozer’s book, The Pursuit of God, he writes this in his chapter called ‘The Speaking Voice’: “I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not only a book which was spoken, but a book which is now speaking. The prophets habitually said, “Thus saith the Lord.” They meant their hearers to understand that God’s speaking is in the continuous present.”
Thank you, Mr. Tozer. I believe it is the continuous present. That is why I spoke healing for personal and national in the present in the above comment.
Jesus says, ” Heaven and earth will pass away but MY WORD will not pass away.” Not only that, but since Jesus is the LIVING WORD ,then we know that means eternal, ad infinitum .
In Ps. 23:4 the Word says about the GOOD SHEPHERD, “Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me.” The Word of God is also the ROD of correction. The old proverb says to the effect, ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’ When the ROD of correction is not used in any form, the little sheep go or are led astray. But the ROD of the Word gives correction and discipline and the STAFF, the administrative authority of CHRIST and His Word, bring guidance that puts us on the right path and continues to lead us in righteous acts and way of life.
And that is a comfort to us, to know that THE GOOD SHEPHERD is alert and watchful over our lives. He will protect us in the fold of HIS SHEEPFOLD and His ROD & STAFF (the WORD) continuously protects us, brings us back and comforts us in affliction, binds our wounds and fill us, HIS SHEEP, with good things….until the ultimate day when we see THE GOOD SHEPHERD face to face in that BIG SHEEPFOLD in the SKY..HEAVEN.
The Great Good Shepherd gave a promise and one that He has the authority and the love to give to us, His sheep. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 NLT
Thank you, Jesus, my Good Shepherd!
Maybe when we read the 23rd Psalm our minds and hearts should merge into one steady stream. And, that stream should flow like this, Jesus, is the Good Shepherd that gives us comfort by His correction.
And, we as sheep that have been comforted by this rod should give some thoughts to our actions ie our behavior.
Could someone explain to me how you and another can have a conversation about another and their behavior when the other has not been invited to this table of discussion. Or, the complainer has never bothered to talk to the other to see if there could be a misunderstanding. I understand when you invite and they refuse but when the big fat mouth middle talker tries to be The Holy Spirit, don’t we have a bad shepherd affair going on. Yes, The Word of God says, we have bad shepherds. Maybe we should examine ourselves and see if we are bod shepherds.
But, what about this?:
“They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,..” II Timothy 3:6 NIV
Isn’t that most of us trying to talk to others when the other is full of evil desires and we must be to because we sure give them a shot of evil for their day. And, they give us one and we take it and run and get a pride puff like we are the ONE!
‘Could someone explain to me how you and another can have a conversation about another and their behavior when the other has not been invited to this table of discussion?’
When you think about this question, it sounds like a hanging without a trial. Even suspected criminals have their rights read to them and the opportunity of getting an attorney and a day in court.
The Good Shepherd does the opposite. He invites us to come and discuss our sins with Him and He always has a solution for reconciliation if we agree to His loving terms.
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land.” Isaiah 1:18
Go Debi….I like your answer to my “Roundabout” question? I first had experience driving in a Roundabout years ago in the United Kingdom. Now, we have some in Northern Virginia! I learned to drive in DC where we had circles. I can’t explain necessarily how to drive in a circle or roundabout but once in them you drive. I am not even sure what benefits they are to the overall traffic but I understand for some more knowing than me that they are very beneficial.
I had to laugh after I posted the question and went off to church. The question would pop in my mind like how will one answer this. How will I answer it. Then in my afternoon travels in Northern Va. we travelled a roundabout and the driver not familiar with this roundabout got us around. Hooray. Debi, read the question, thereby entering the roundabout and drove right around to clearing.
I love the part Debi wrote, the Good Shepherd invites us to discuss…and then always has a solution….can’t get any better than that. The Good Shepherd has many roundabouts. I may not understand how they work but they work and when we drive safely in His roundabout we come out in the clearing.
The Good Shepherd gave us directives to get off the roundabout, “wait for the comforter.”