Images of Jesus leading a flock of sheep, or holding just one special lamb, remind us how our relationship with Him ought to be. Picture yourself as the lamb being held by Christ. You are able to snuggle up and comfort Him, just as He comforts you, kisses your head, tickles you behind your ears. We find courage when we trust Him and let Him hold us. When we’re unsure where we are going, we just need to keep our eyes on Him, following His lead, undistracted by others in the crowd, especially those straying from the flock.
Our Good Shepherd
Ezekiel’s message underscores the power of our Good Shepherd, reminding us that God, Creator of the universe and all that is in it, wants to be with each of us every moment. We just need to think about Him, recognize He is right here with us, ready to talk, ready to guide us, ready to hold us in His arms. “For thus says the Lord God: Behold I myself will seek my sheep and will visit them” (Ezk. 34:11). I especially appreciate the confirmation that God wants to visit with me. Sometimes when I pray, I’ll just ask the Lord what He wants to talk about, rather than bringing Him my agenda, my list of needs, petitions, and prayers I’ve promised to pray for others. Then, my time with God is more like a visit, rather than a meeting.
As a business professor, I tend to treat most daily interactions as a meeting: quick agenda review, bullet pointed discussion list, wrap up the conversation with a call to action. Done, onto the next task. My elderly mom is too sweet and humble to address my abrasiveness, but I am certain it must really annoy, and even hurt her. Let’s try to treat our time with God, and those others He puts in our life each day, as a visit. This requires slowing down and listening to God and those people through whom He is working on any given day. Let Him enjoy the comfort your trust brings to Him, let Him kiss your head with the breath of the Holy Spirit. You will gain the courage of a lion for trusting in Him like a lamb.
Courage
The Lord needs us to be courageous. He needs us to be the lamb He singles out to pick up and hold. He’ll do this when we stray, but how closely do we follow Him at His heels? We have two Great Pyrenees dogs, Cinto and Esther, named after my Italian grandparents. They are huge, white, very furry with floppy ears (typically indicating a gentler breed). Great Pyrenees are sheep-herding mountain dogs, white so they blend into guard against predators I suppose.
Esther is the epitome of a therapy dog, treating us much like the lamb treats the shepherd. She is completely quiet, never barks (Cinto covers that), and is always ready for love: petting, playing or just a quick kiss so she can let you know you’re loved and take some love back in exchange. She trusts everyone, sees only the good, and is completely courageous. Similarly, completely trusting in the goodness of the Lord gives us courage to do what He needs done in our time. When we let the Lord shepherd us, we can honestly say “there is nothing I shall want” (Ps.23).
