The Lord is my Shepherd

Embracing the True Nature of Our Heavenly Father. Redefining the Father: Shattering Misconceptions About God's Character

God has been teaching me more about His love these days than in all my life. I truly believe that I have grown more than ever before. Everything that hurt me, from the cancer to the chaos, has simply driven me closer to the LORD, the I AM, my Father, my Shepherd.

In Psalm 23, we find the words, The LORD is my shepherd. I have tried over the last few days to help you know Him better. God Himself told us who He is. He is not who I often imagined.

I grew up hearing of a fairly angry God. He seemed testy. Though I intellectually knew it wasn’t true, my heart still wrestled with past teachings. I remember hearing how the shepherd might break the leg of a wandering lamb. I heard many messages that left me trembling in fear of God, my Father, and my Shepherd. I think you have seen who He is now.

When we look at Him as our Shepherd, it will not be as meaningful if we see Him as the austere old man ready to throw the lightning bolt at us. But if He is loving, merciful, gracious, and forgiving, and all we have seen, then it will be our pleasure to follow Him.

He is our Shepherd. Consider what that means to me for a minute. He is my Shepherd, so He belongs to me, but that is only true because I belong to Him.

The psalmist said that God made us and owns us as His sheep in His pasture.

Know ye that the Lord he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3

Jesus said that He had sheep, His disciples. Jesus knows His sheep and we know Him.

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. John 10:14

As our Shepherd, Jesus gives His life for His sheep. Some work as shepherds, but the sheep are not theirs. They run away when danger approaches, but not our Shepherd. He gives His life.

He goes into the desert to seek us when we wander away. He looks for us until He finds us. Jesus announces we are His sheep. The fact that we get lost doesn’t change that. He made us, and we did not make ourselves; everybody belongs to Him. Jesus goes into the desert and looks and looks until He finds His sheep.

When He finds His sheep, He doesn’t scold the sheep or put any conditions on the sheep, but out of grace, mercy, and love, He picks up His 75-pound sheep and puts Him on His shoulders, and brings His sheep home.

Arriving home, Jesus, as our Shepherd, throws a joyful party celebrating his sheep’s return.

That is my shepherd! He never gives up on us. Jesus goes deep into the dark desert to find us. He loves us so much and brings us back to a party.

So think with me about this: “the LORD, God, I AM, Jesus” is my shepherd. He loves me. In the story found in Luke 15:1-7, the only thing the sheep did was get lost. The concern, the search, and the danger were all on the part of the Shepherd. Not only that, He finds His sheep and carries the sheep home on His shoulders, then throws a party to welcome me home when all I did was wander rebelliously away, doing my own thing.

My Shepherd pays it all for me. I am so happy and love my Shepherd because He first loved me. Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior? God our Father, Jesus our Shepherd, loves you right now, wherever you are. All you need to do is accept the gift offered through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross.