The shepherd metaphor is one of the most common metaphors used in the Bible to describe God’s love and care for his people. Sheep farming was something that every Israelite in ancient times was familiar with. The shepherd metaphor, therefore, presented them with a compelling picture of their relationship with God and the choices that they must make to submit to the Lord their shepherd to enjoy his care. Human beings are like sheep. We are defenceless creatures; defenceless against all the evils of life that threaten to penetrate our souls and devour us. We cannot, and must not, live without our shepherd. To receive God as our shepherd we must enter his pasture. We cannot live independently and autonomously and have God as our shepherd. God seeks his lost sheep to bring them back to his pasture, because only here will we find contentment and rest for our souls. You can enter the realm of God’s love and care if you want. There is a gate and there is no fee for entry. You don’t need to qualify by character or achievement to enter. The moment you go through the gate you are considered pure and faultless and you are highly favoured and blessed by God. That gate is Jesus who draws you, even now, to come and rest in the green pastures and by the still waters of God’s love and care. Will you come?
Commit yourself to God.
Read Psalm 23 & John 10:1-21 again
