God Tends

Eze.34:² “…Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep… ⁴ You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost…” [with emphasis].

If anyone understood how vulnerable and defenseless sheep are, it was David. When a lion came against his sheep, he rose against the lion and killed it. When a bear came, David defended his sheep. So, when David says the Lord is my shepherd, he is saying, if God does not protect me, I am like the sheep, defenseless against the power of the enemy. Nobody is afraid of sheep; sheep are weak; that is why we do not want to be associated with sheep. We want to be seen as strong. However, having the Lord as your shepherd is recognizing your vulnerability. It is like saying to God, if you do not defend me like the shepherd defends the sheep, I am in trouble. God has to be your shepherd otherwise you are in trouble in this world.

Not only are sheep dumb and defenseless, sheep can be dirty. Cats and birds can clean themselves, but a sheep cannot clean itself. The best it can do is rub itself against the wall. It is dependent on the shepherd to give it a bath and if that does not happen, it will stink. So, to have the Lord as your shepherd is recognizing that you need Him to clean you up. Looking at the sheep – shepherd relationship, the same way the sheep is in constant need of the shepherd, I am in constant need of the Lord as my shepherd. The sheep is always dumb, so it will always need the shepherd for guidance. The sheep is always defenseless, it needs constant protection. You and I need constant protection and we need cleansing consistently. Many people want to have God as an emergency God. However, we see that the sheep cannot afford an emergency shepherd. As God’s sheep, we cannot afford to have a “911” relationship with God and God does not even want that. He wants to be our ever-present God, always present in the time of trouble. God knows how dumb we are, how foolish we are, how frail we are, and how filthy we are. Yet He cares for us.

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. If the Lord is your shepherd, He will not only meet all your needs, you will discover you have no want. You will have no want for two reasons; firstly, when your needs are met, it also comes with satisfaction of the soul. Sometimes people have their needs met but their souls are not satisfied and not restored, so they still envy what other people have. But God can meet your need, give you satisfaction of soul and you will have no want. God gives you fulfillment, you are content and not lusting. You are full, having no want!

Prayer: Lord, it is a privilege to have the Good Shepherd as my shepherd. Thank You for choosing me and making me Your sheep, in Jesus Name. Amen!