The Tender Promise Of A Shepherd

Jesus came to prepare the way for His flock to walk the path to His kingdom. The little Shepherd who napped in the manger would be the One who would make crooked paths straight. He would remove each and every barrier of sin and condemnation. He would defeat the foe who lures lost people onto the wrong pathway.

His promise to shepherd me for the rest of my life is tender yet powerful in its implications.  He exposes sin, the sin that destroys me. He inspires repentance, the deep apology and heart change that restores my life. He points to each crooked place in my heart in order to make my path straight without painful detours. He cheers me on when I’m done in. He picks me up when I’m limping until I can walk again. He helps me when I’m feeble, working within each nuance of my emotional and spiritual limitations. He shepherds me perfectly ~ not from afar but from up close and personal.

Every one of us has a deep desire to be known by one who loves us. Because we were made for this, our soul strains to be under the care of one who sees the expanse of our lives and has the power to shape an environment where we can thrive. He’s a Shepherd, not a brute. He is the singer who energizes, not the taskmaster who bellows orders.