- 71. Feed like a Shepherd
Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
God promises that He will be the Good Shepherd for His flock. We are a part of the flock of God as His sheep. The Lord is responsible for us; He is obligated to take care of us in every way. The Lord has brought us and paid for us; we are His. Jesus will do for everything that a shepherd does for his flock; only He will do it perfectly.
Jesus feeds His flock. He nourishes and cherishes us. Once He has saved us and brought us into the flock, He promises that will provide for us everything we need for life and godliness. The Good Shepherd feeds us the spiritual food through His Word and Spirit. Every nourishment we ever need is in the Word. He gives us His Word to listen to; we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest every nutrient needed for healthy spiritual life and growth in faith. We live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. He will not leave us undernourished. We may ignore or even refuse the nourishment and sustenance He freely gives, but He continues to provide for all our needs of health and life. The Gospel is always available for us to partake, receive and believe.
Jesus gathers the lambs with His arms. We are comfortable and secure in His strong and everlasting arms. When we lose our way and things don’t seem to be in order in our life, He searches for us until He finds us. When He finds us He takes us in His arms and carries us in His bosom. He will not leave us alone to try to figure things out all by ourselves; He carries us. On our own we may stumble and fall, but in His strong arms we are comfortable, safe, secure and at peace. Pride sometimes makes us want to take care of things in our own strength and wisdom, but when we let the soul be carried all is well.
Jesus gently leads us. He leads gently and we willingly follow His love. He does not force His way and His will, does not threaten us at gunpoint, does not use sticks and prods, does not overwhelm us with great power, does not use a heavy yoke or strong leash, and does not coerce with threat or force. He draws us to Him, and then He leads us by still waters and green pastures.