Scripture Reading(s)
Isaiah 40:6-11
A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.”
9You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
Reflections
We know Jesus as the good shepherd, mostly from the parables in the NT. We also know Him as the good shepherd because He said He was the good shepherd.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)
However, the good shepherd motif is a long standing idea from the OT. God spoke some 400 years before Jesus, through the prophet Isaiah, and told us about the good shepherd. The good shepherd gathers His lambs in His arms and holds them close to his heart. He leads them gently and cares for them. Notice also that God calls the good shepherd “the Lord”, because He is the good shepherd. He is Immanuel.
The Lord cares for His sheep, every last one. You are not forgotten or alone or neglected. Every sheep in His flock is close to His heart. No matter what your life circumstances are, do not believe that the shepherd has left you. He will keep you until it’s time to be with him in heaven, face to face.