We all know that sheep aren’t the brightest creatures, but have you seen the sheep video that went viral last year? It shows a young boy carefully pulling a sheep out of a narrow trench next to the road. You can almost hear the sheep thinking, “I’m free! Wheeee!” as it jumps across the green grass . . . and then lands right in the same trench again.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be studying the Lord as our good Shepherd. I love this metaphor and how often we find it in the scriptures, because it beautifully depicts the Lord’s loving care for His children. This week we’re looking at how the Lord seeks, rescues, and gathers His sheep. Even though we sinned against Him and strayed from Him—even though we keep jumping into those trenches over and over again—He faithfully pursues us and brings us back.
Fun fact: we’ve never had a Monday devotional from the book of Ezekiel before! But my pastor preached on this passage a few weeks ago, and I knew right away that I wanted to share it with you.
“For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country.” (Ezekiel 34:11-13)
This passage refers to God bringing the exiled Israelites back from Babylon to Jerusalem, but it also points us to Jesus. He ultimately fulfilled this promise when He died and rose again, providing a rescue for sinners and bringing them into the fold of the good Shepherd (John 10:16).
If you belong to Christ, it’s because He searched for you and delivered you from sin and death. He brought you into His family by His grace, and He’ll never let you go.
No matter what you face this week, the good Shepherd has sought you, rescued you, and gathered you to Himself.
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[…] Last week we started our three-week study of God as our Shepherd in Ezekiel 34. As we look at the next verses, we see God’s loving care and provision for His sheep. […]