Can you think of a time when you felt well cared for? When I lived in Houston for months receiving cancer treatment, some friends of a friend took me in and let me stay with them. Their home was beautiful and cozy, and they were so generous. They, along with their grown children, treated me like family. I hated being away from home, but when I was there, I could see God’s provision in their sacrificial care for me.
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.
“I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.” (Ezekiel 34:14–16)
Imagine how wonderful these promises must have sounded to the Israelites in exile in Babylon. They were away from home, and times were tough. But their God promised to not just to feed them, but also to provide rich pasture. He promised not just to be with them but also to cause them to lie down—implying perfect peace, contentment, and safety. God’s words assured His people that He would heal, strengthen, and restore them.
We find similar promises in Psalm 23:
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:1–3)
The Lord is our only good Shepherd. We may chase after counterfeit shepherds, looking for satisfaction, security, or peace. But those needs can only be met by our Savior, Jesus Christ. When He is our Shepherd, we shall not want.
No matter what you face this week, your good Shepherd cares and provides for His sheep.
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