JESUS OUR SHEPHERD
There is no picture dearer to the believer’s heart than that of Jesus as our Shepherd. The Bible says that He calls His sheep by name and leads them out, and they follow because they know His voice (John 10:3-4). This is no distant ruler or careless guardian. This is a Shepherd whose hands still bear the marks of love. When He said, “I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep,” He was telling us that His rule is not of iron but of grace, and His crown is love itself (John 10:11).
What a Shepherd He is! The flock may wander, yet His eyes never lose sight of even one trembling lamb. He does not drive with harshness but leads with gentleness. He knows every hill and hollow of our hearts, every thorn that wounds us, every fear that makes us tremble. There is a tenderness in His care that quiets the soul. When we stumble, His rod corrects us, not to break, but to bring us home. When danger draws near, His staff stretches out, strong and sure, to pull us from the edge of ruin.
“The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters” (Ps. 23:1-2). What pasture could be greener than His presence? What waters could be stiller than His peace? When life’s noise grows loud and its path uncertain, the Good Shepherd speaks a word, and the heart grows calm. The soul that follows Him finds rest, not only from sin, but from the striving that exhausts so many.
Even when the shadows lengthen and death’s valley stretches before us, He remains near. The Bible says His rod and His staff comfort us (Ps. 23:4). There is no darkness where His light cannot shine and no valley so deep that His voice cannot reach. The Shepherd walks before us into every storm. We do not face the night alone.
Yet this Shepherd does more than guard. He gathers. The Bible says that He has other sheep not of this fold, and that He will bring them also, so there will be one flock and one Shepherd (John 10:16). His love stretches across all boundaries, calling every heart that will hear. He gathers the scattered and the wounded, the forgotten and the fearful. Isaiah spoke of Him long ago, saying, “He tends His flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart” (Isa. 40:11). What a picture of the Savior’s heart — strong enough to hold the world, gentle enough to cradle the weakest child of grace.
Every soul He calls finds its true home in union with Him. The Bible says we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones (Eph. 5:30). The Shepherd does not merely guide from afar. He lives within His people by His Spirit. His life becomes their life, His peace their peace, His joy their strength. To live in union with Christ is to walk the fields of divine fellowship where the soul drinks daily from the living fountains of His grace.
And what safety there is in His keeping! The Bible says no one can snatch His sheep from His hand (John 10:28). The enemy may roar, but he cannot break the Shepherd’s grip. The storms may rage, but the flock remains safe beneath the shadow of His care. Every promise of God stands as a fence around those He loves.
Look to the end of all things, and you will still find Him Shepherding. Revelation gives us this vision: “The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 7:17). The Shepherd who once led through green pastures will then lead through golden streets. The hand that once reached into our valleys will wipe the last tear from our eyes.
What joy to know that from the first step of faith to the final gate of glory, Jesus is the same faithful Shepherd. He leads, He feeds, He keeps. The Bible says that goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Ps. 23:6).
Let the heart rest in that love today. Follow His voice in trust. Lean upon His care in peace. For the Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep still walks among us, guiding every step, guarding every soul, and gathering His flock into the fold of everlasting joy.
Bryan Dewayne Dunaway
