Jesus Our Good Shepherd

There are so many titles that Jesus gave Himself, and others ascribe to Him, that are backed up in different sections of the Bible. He is called the High Priest in Hebrews 4:14, the Alpha and the Omega in Revelation 22:13, the Son of God in John 3:16. He is, of course, God in flesh (John 1:1). He referred to Himself as the Son of Man in Mark 14:16, and many more.

God has been reminding me of one of the simplest titles He calls Himself that we can often overlook or find hard to relate to in this day and age, yet we need it now more than ever—and that is Jesus as a shepherd. In fact, He referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd.

I have spent all weekend thinking about what this meant and how I could apply it in my daily life, because He was challenging me to meditate on it and believe it. This came about when He challenged me to be satisfied in Him more than in my desires.

We can get so used to asking God for what we want that we become dissatisfied with Him if we do not get those things fast enough, and we forget that He is enough—and as long as we have Him, we will be more than okay. That does not mean we do not have desires and wants—in fact, some of those desires came from Him—yet He still wants our hearts to be free from desperation for these needs, and instead to put our trust in Him completely. You and I have so many deep desires in our hearts that he gave them to us, yet you might be like me who is yet to see them come to pass. 

As I was on my walk with God in the countryside, I felt like He said that I am becoming no longer satisfied with Him alone. After a little back and forth, I repented and asked for His help. I realise how kind Jesus was to tell me this. It shows that what is in our hearts that is not of Him matters—it hurts Him—but it also means He cares about our hearts and souls. He cares about what we need and want, but more than that, He desires for our hearts to mature, so that we are not easily moved by the things of this world.

Now let me be clear: I am in full faith that God will do what He said He would do. He will redeem the relationships I am trusting Him to redeem and bring fruitfulness into my life—but what if it takes months, years, or even decades? Am I going to be unhappy and miserable, letting life pass me by, or am I going to carry on doing what He called me to do and enjoy this eternal life He has given me to live? Friends, the choice is ours. We can have all of Jesus if we want Him, but we cannot have the world and Jesus at the same time.

I encourage you to read Psalms 23 and sections of John 10 over and over again, because they carry great revelation of Jesus as our Good Shepherd, and they help us posture our hearts as we apply them in our daily lives.

Let’s look at Psalms 23 for example.

Jesus wants to lead us, guide us, protect us, correct us, and feed us. Isn’t that what shepherds do? They go ahead of the flock. They know which way to go and why. They know the best place for the sheep to graze, the best place to rest, to feed, and to drink water. Jesus protects us from danger and trouble, just like a shepherd would for the sheep. Isn’t this the gospel? God accomplished the greatest rescue mission in the world—to rescue humanity from danger (sin and death). Jesus is Lord, and we are not, therefore he leads us for His name’s sake, for the sake of His righteousness, if we follow Him and listen.

The verse that stood out to me most is verse 4, which says that even though we walk through the darkest valley, we shall fear no evil, for God is with us—His rod and His staff protect and guide us. That should reassure us that nothing—no darkness, no devil, no situation—can take us out if we walk with Jesus. The Lord never said we wouldn’t go through hard things; after all, we live in a fallen world. But He did promise that He would be with us forever, helping us and walking with us in it.

Jesus, the Great Shepherd, isn’t intimidated by the trouble you are facing, and He is walking through it with you—but you’ve got to acknowledge that as truth and reality. In fact, he is ahead of you. He knows what is going to happen, and if you stay with Him, you will get through it together. We also have to remember that He is good. Therefore, the bad things that might happen to us aren’t His fault nor did he cause them—but thank God we have Jesus to walk through them with us. Jesus has overcome the world—its systems, its conspiracies, and much more—and so have you. Remember this when you are facing trouble, when you want to blame God, and when you start becoming discontent.

There is nothing in your life that God on the inside of you has not overcome.

Jesus isn’t giving up on us. In fact, His passion for us doesn’t change or diminish. He is so invested in the journey ahead of us—not for our defeat, but for our victory, joy, and growth. Christians, we need to remember that we are made for Jesus and are alive for Him. The gospel that tells you that when you become a Christian you get everything you want is not the gospel. We get the greatest gift in the world, and His name is Jesus Christ. He is the source of our lives, our existence, and our salvation.

Walk through this life with God. Give Him your pain—emotional, physical, and more. Tell Him what hurts. Have others pray for you if you cannot pray for yourself. Trust Him, and let His Word become your reality. We might not always get everything we want in this life, but in eternity we will live with Him in absolute beauty and adoration. He is God, and He desires to spend eternity with us—what an honour.

As I am writing this, I am reminded again of the mercy of God—that He reminded me to stay content in Him and not to lose heart in this season, but to know that He has gone ahead of me and he has for you dear ones. I am so glad that my heart wasn’t hardened to hear Him say this. It shows that our intimacy matters to Him, and that our heart matters to Him.

That he cares for us deeply. He is inviting us deeper into His presence—to walk with Him through the disappointment, the highs, the pain, and waiting—and may you join me on this journey to be content as we wait for the promise.

I will share psalm 23 (NIV) here for you to read and meditate on this week 

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Love Sarah