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The Good Shepherd



One of the most beautiful Psalms is chapter 23, The Lord is my Shepherd. This Psalm has brought peace and comfort to Christians over the centuries. Today, this Psalm still provides peace of mind for us today by reminding us of our glorious Shepherd.

Jesus described Himself as the Good Shepherd in John chapter 10. He loves and cares for His sheep with such magnitude and depth that His love is impossible to fully fathom. There are several ways that we see Jesus as The Good Shepherd who watches over us.

He Leads us to Nourishment.

Jesus said, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32. Peter rightly declared concerning the words of Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68

The words that Jesus has spoken to us through His holy word are nourishment for our soul and they are life. The beautiful part of the words of Jesus is that we are free to feast on His words as much and as often as we like.

He Protects us from Predators.

The Shepherd’s duties include protecting the sheep from wolves and bears that are anxious to attack. The Shepherd is therefore constantly on watch. He always stands ready to defend His flock.

The wolves and bears that come against His people are the false teachers. While their message may contain some truth, it still contains enough to mislead us off the narrow path if we are not careful. It is through faithfully listening and responding to the words of Christ that keeps us safe from eternal disaster.

He Lays Down His Life for the Sheep.

Jesus is not like the hireling who would save his own life and leave the sheep in the heat of battle. Instead, Jesus is the Good Shepherd that lays His life down for His sheep. He is not afraid of the wolf or bear but is mighty to save His sheep from certain tragedy.

Our enemy was not a wolf or a bear, but rather it was sin itself. Sin has the power to enslave us, separate us from God, and destroy our soul eternally. Jesus laid down His very life so that we through Him might live. The apostle Paul wrote, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:7

As we travel through the valleys and peaks of this journey of life, let us always keep our focus on our loving Savior who is the Good Shepherd. He loves us more than we can imagine and He continues to look out for our very souls.

God Bless each of you,

Eric Hicks


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