Lessons from the Shepherd

The Lord invites us every day to come to Him in the weariness of living and the burden of things that trouble us and find rest

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While out walking the other day we saw a field full of sheep, but I was struck by a group of young lambs that had seemed to have left their mothers, (they were quietly and methodically munching on the grass), and had congregated in another part of the field in a group or frankly what looked like a gang. The were behaving like a bunch of teenagers. Showing off to one another about how fast they could run around or how high they could spring (they are not called spring lambs for nothing) acting like they didn’t have a care in the world just like young people, while the ewes were working hard on eating the grass so they could provide milk and sustenance for their young carefree lambs. It was a peaceful scene really, reflective of life. But only because those sheep were safe and cared for by the Shepherd. We know the Shepherd of these sheep and we know how well he cares for them, moving them from field to field so they have fresh grazing and tending to their fences so they cannot get out and get harmed, caring for them when they get injured or ill. 

Reading through the gospel of Matthew recently, I was struck by a phrase that Matthew used to describe how Jesus thought about the people in the towns he was travelling around and ministering to. Matthew 9:35-38 (NLT) "Jesus travelled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the good news about the kingdom. And he healed all their diseases and illnesses. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like a sheep without a shepherd." What a reflection of lives who do not know the Lord. They benefit from all the Lord provides for them in this world, yet choosing to wander confused and helpless in so many ways because they do not know of or are willing to come under the care of the Shepherd.   

Even those of us who know the Lord as our Saviour and shepherd can get a little bemused and thrown off course by things that happen to us sometimes, leaving us a little confused and feeling a bit helpless. But for both those that know the Lord and those who need to know the Lord, Jesus makes us an amazing offer and wonderful invitation. Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) “Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gently of heart and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear and the burden I give you is light.” His invitation to let His love and forgiveness into our lives and thereby find rest from sin (the burden of all our wrongdoings that we carry) is real.  When we invite Jesus into our lives and ask Him to free us from the empty lives we lead, that are built on self-seeking and a broken relationship with God, He restores us to himself in love and heals every part of our lives.  

The Lord invites us every day to come to Him in the weariness of living and the burden of things that trouble us and find rest. The secret is in the phrase `let me teach you because I am humble and gentle of heart and you will find rest for your souls` I have found over the last few weeks that the Lord has been teaching me many things, some of them very challenging, and if the Lord was not such a humble and gentle teacher, I would have felt crushed and defeated. But that is not the way the Lord teaches us. Instead, I feel loved and cherished that the Shepherd of my soul would take time to make sure that the lessons I need to learn in my life, are delivered in a gentle way that lead me to new pastures so I can be nourished.  Jesus`s blueprint of care for us is laid down very clearly in Psalm 23 (NLT)

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“The Lord is my shepherd I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows and leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength.”  (Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy Burdens and I will give you rest). Only as we learn to rest in the love of Jesus can we be renewed. Knowing that even if we have messed up, or gone cold, or are weighed down with things that are difficult and heavy to carry, we can rest in His love. Even if He has to challenge us or rebuke us or ask us “what we think we are doing?”, it is so He can shepherd us into greener meadows, quieter waters and restore our strength, or even give us strength to put right what we have got wrong.

Jesus invites us to take His yoke upon us, but what does that mean. Well, a yoke is a wooden bar fitted across the neck of two animals and connected to the load they are carrying, so they can bear that load together. But if one of the partnership does not submit to the other, then the whole thing becomes incredibly difficult and probably painful and the load does not get lifted. Jesus says that His yoke is easy to bear, this is a promise we can rely on. The yoke Jesus offers us is a free gift, and designed to bring our lives into alignment with His, to walk in step with Him and to follow His leading. Because He is gentle and humble of spirit, the yoke will not be something that (a) we cannot bear or align with or (b) something that is too heavy for us to carry. Again Psalm 23 (NLT) says “He guides us along right paths which brings honour to his name” not shame to ourselves. So, the yoke brings freedom from the fear of being alone and getting lost, the fear of taking the wrong step and falling into shame or worse. It’s the gift of relationship and partnership and its easy to wear because of who the other side is connected to...Jesus.

He also promises that He will take away all our heavy burdens and give us a light one. Some would say I’m really happy to lose my heavy burden so why should I immediately take on another one. But the burden Jesus gives us gives life and not death. Lifts us up not casts us down. He simply says to us follow me and obey my commandments. John 15:9-11 (NLT) “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me, remain in my love. When you obey my commandments you remain in my love, just as I obey my Fathers`s commandments and remain in his love”

Ahh you might say but in that case the burden the Lord put on us is heavy, if we have to obey all the law and commandments. After all there are 613 Jewish laws and commandments. That’s a lot to keep! But actually, Jesus died so we would not have to keep all these commandments and laws, His way is the way of faith not law. He said it clearly in Micah 6:8 (NLT) “O people the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God” Proverbs 3:5 (NLT) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and depend not on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do and he will show you which path to take” When we take His yoke upon us and learn of Him this becomes a way of new life to us where because we are following Him and learning from His humble spirit, even the challenges and harsh things He has to say to us are covered with grace and love. How blessed are we the sheep of His pasture. 

Be blessed as you stay yoked to our wonderful Saviour today. 

Author: Jan Pearson

May God bless and enrich your life

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