My name is Mark Stenzy and this is Daily Life.
Over this next week, we're going to be talking about some of the word pictures,
some of the images used in the Bible to describe God.
And one of the most beautiful images in my opinion is the image of a shepherd.
In fact, Jesus said this about himself in John chapter 10,
he said, I am the good shepherd and the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Now, most of us spend very little time around sheep, so we may not understand
how important it was for sheep to have a good shepherd,
because sheep are very vulnerable, very dependent animals.
For one thing, they have a very poor sense of direction.
Most other animals have this innate ability to find their way home,
but not sheep. They get lost very easily and then they get confused.
They start to walk in circles, then they panic.
In fact, when Scripture describes our own tendency to wander away from God,
it says, we all, like sheep, have gone astray.
Another thing about sheep is that they tend to be very careless about what they eat.
They can't tell the difference between plants that are healthy and plants that are poisonous,
and so they will sometimes eat things that can make them sick or even kill them.
And so their diet has to be carefully guarded by a shepherd who will lead them into green pastures.
And then sheep are also very defenseless.
I mean, they can't run very fast. They have no natural camouflage.
They have no claws. They have no sharp teeth.
They can't really even growl. I mean, they really have no way of defending themselves.
So to put it very simply, sheep cannot thrive without a good shepherd.
Now, here's what's interesting.
More than 100 times in the Bible, God refers to you and me as sheep.
Isn't that interesting? It's not very flattering, but it is interesting.
And if we're honest with ourselves, we have to admit we can be a lot like sheep.
We wander around, make poor decisions. We can become self-destructive.
We all need a good shepherd.
And Jesus says, I am that good shepherd.
In fact, I will lay down my life for my sheep.
So my friend, if you're feeling lost or afraid or alone,
maybe it's because you've been trying to live life on your own
and what you really need to do is entrust your life to the true shepherd
who will guide you and protect you and sustain you.
Let me pray with you.
Lord, we thank you for this beautiful picture and scripture that reminds us
that you love us and only want the best for us.
And I pray that we would follow our shepherd closely
and enjoy all the blessings that come from living life that way.
And I pray that in Christ's name, amen.
Daily Life is created by LCBC Church.
LCBC stands for Lives Changed by Christ.
We are one church in multiple locations across Pennsylvania.
For more information about LCBC or to find resources to help you grow in your faith,
go to LCBCChurch.com.
