The Enduring Classics of Billy Graham by Billy Graham

Author:Billy Graham
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Religion, Christian Life
ISBN: 9780849918216
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2004-05-18T22:00:00+00:00

He Promises to Shepherd Us

The picture of God as a shepherd is found in many places in the Old Testament. What a comfort it is to know that the God of the universe comes down into the hills and valleys of our lives to be our Shepherd.

In the most famous Psalm, David, a former shepherd himself, cries out, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want” (Psalm 23:1, emphasis added). Our Shepherd leads us, He guides us along the right paths, and He is with us in the dark valley. No wonder David testifies, “My cup overflows” (v. 5). Isaiah describes how the Lord “tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart” (40:11).

In the New Testament Jesus applies the image of the shepherd to Himself. He says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. . . . I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” ( John 10:11–14).

If Jesus lives in the heart, the Good Shepherd owns the sheep; they belong to Him. He guards the sheep; He never leaves them in time of trouble. He knows the sheep by name, and His love is so great that He lays down His life for His sheep.

We need to keep close to our Shepherd, to listen to His voice and follow Him, especially in times of spiritual peril. Jesus tells us not to be misled by the voices of strangers. There are so many strange voices being heard in the religious world of our day. We must compare what they say with the Word of God.

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