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ANSWER: Shepherd (1 Samuel 17:15).
ENCOURAGING WORD:
Searching for His Lost Sheep
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want” - (Psalm 23:1).
Thoughts for Today
Yesterday we read about how the Pharisees were criticizing Jesus in Luke 15. Jesus was not intimidated by their intellectual arrogance or elitist attitude toward faith. He responded to their muttering by telling the parable of the lost sheep.
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them,” Jesus said. “Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep’” (Luke 15:4-6).
Can you imagine how these powerful leaders reacted to being compared to a simple shepherd? They would never lower themselves to laboring through the muddy hills. Instead, they would chastise the hired shepherds and order them to search for the sheep.
In Ezekiel 34, the shepherds of Israel—the religious leaders—angered God because they kept the food of God’s Word for themselves instead of spiritually feeding their flocks. God warned them, “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?” (v. 2).
The Pharisees of Jesus’ time were shepherding the same way. Yet our God does the searching for His lost sheep.
Prayer: Our Loving Heavenly Father God,
Thank You for being my Shepherd and for loving me enough to seek me out. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen.
Searching for His Lost Sheep
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want” - (Psalm 23:1).
Thoughts for Today
Yesterday we read about how the Pharisees were criticizing Jesus in Luke 15. Jesus was not intimidated by their intellectual arrogance or elitist attitude toward faith. He responded to their muttering by telling the parable of the lost sheep.
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them,” Jesus said. “Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep’” (Luke 15:4-6).
Can you imagine how these powerful leaders reacted to being compared to a simple shepherd? They would never lower themselves to laboring through the muddy hills. Instead, they would chastise the hired shepherds and order them to search for the sheep.
In Ezekiel 34, the shepherds of Israel—the religious leaders—angered God because they kept the food of God’s Word for themselves instead of spiritually feeding their flocks. God warned them, “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?” (v. 2).
The Pharisees of Jesus’ time were shepherding the same way. Yet our God does the searching for His lost sheep.
Prayer: Our Loving Heavenly Father God,
Thank You for being my Shepherd and for loving me enough to seek me out. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen.
Courtesy : Daily Dose Devotionals Team
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