Follow the Good Shepherd
Follow the Good Shepherd, Jesus, who invites all people to believe and follow Him. So, why is it so much easier to do everything else but God’s will? I was thinking these thoughts one day when I noticed something about my dogs. Stuey and Sadie live to follow me, their master, but do I live to follow Jesus, my Lord and Master? Do you?
So, we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 2 Corinthians 5:9
God created everything, so there is much to discover and learn about Him from creation if we take the time. Hence, I believe God wanted me to observe my dogs to see what it means to follow Jesus from another perspective. The first thing I noticed about my dogs is they want to be in my presence, so they follow me wherever I go.
So, the question to ponder is, do I desire to be with God enough to carve out time to talk to Him in prayer and read the Bible? This is essential because you will not follow Jesus if you lose your intimate connection with Him. The Bible says that we follow Jesus when we make doing God’s will more important than our own. The following verse holds the clue to how to follow the Good Shepherd. See if you can find it.
And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:15
Jesus is the Good Shepherd
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Psalm 95:6-7
The relationship between God and His people is often pictured as that of a shepherd and his flock because sheep depend on their shepherd to survive.
But unlike human shepherds, Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd because He is God, holy, and without sin. Therefore, Jesus always does what is best for people, even when it costs Him His life. Moreover, only Jesus can supernaturally provide for physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. So then, tell Jesus what concerns you and watch for His answer because there is nothing too hard for Jesus!
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:11, 14-15
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, Searches for Lost Sheep
Every person born into the world begins life as a lost sinner in rebellion against God, so no one naturally follows Jesus. Therefore, Jesus, who was without sin, willingly sacrificed His life on the cross to save us from the penalty and power of our sins. And God raised Him from the dead so that those who believe in Him are forgiven and have eternal life.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him (Jesus) the sins of us all. Isaiah 53:6
We sin when we follow our way apart from God’s will. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows that an independent person who goes their separate way becomes lost and is in real danger. Therefore, Jesus actively searches until He finds them. Have you lost your way? Only Jesus knows the way home to your heavenly Father, so ask Him now to save you from your sins.
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-10, 13
Follow the Good Shepherd to Eternal Life
Jesus said: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:9-10, 28, 30
The Bible says there is rejoicing in heaven when one lost sinner repents and turns from their sins to God. Have you repented of your sins and received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord? If so, do you follow Him?
If you are the Christ, (the promised Messiah), tell us plainly. Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me. But you do not believe because you are not my sheep.” John 10:24-26
You will have true peace and contentment when you believe in and follow Jesus Christ, even in difficult circumstances. Indeed, Jesus is the source of all you need, so trust in Him, not yourself, because your faith pleases God.
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3
Listen to the Good Shepherd
To follow Jesus, you must recognize and hear His voice. And this comes from spending time with Him in God’s Word and talking to Him in prayer.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, said: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27
My dogs recognize my voice because they live their brief time on earth studying everything about me, so they know me. Thus, they are attentive to my words and come when I call because they want to please me.
And because I take excellent care of my dogs, they trust me. Similarly, as you personally experience Jesus’ love and practical help, you will place your confidence in Him more often. Indeed, Jesus invites you to taste and see that He is good because those who take refuge in Him are blessed.
He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice. But they will never follow a stranger; In fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize the stranger’s voice.” John 10:3-5
You will not listen to someone you do not know or trust, let alone follow them. Hence, the question to ask is, how can I know God and live by His Spirit? It is by reading and believing what God says through the pages of the Bible and then obeying Him by faith. How strong is your desire for God’s Word?
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:2- 3
Love and Obey the Good Shepherd
Stuey and Sadie always want to be near me, so they follow me, their master, wherever I go. And when I am away, they watch for my arrival. Then, when I come home, they dance in sheer happiness because they missed me. In other words, everything they do is because they love me.
Comparatively, do you want someone to love you from the heart or out of a sense of duty? Then, which do you think God prefers? Love is the soil from which obedience sprouts because otherwise, it is an obligation.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in Him. We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:16, 19
The Bible teaches that God loves us so much that Jesus Christ died for us even while we were actively sinning against Him. Thus, our love for God begins when we respond to His love by repenting of our sins and receiving God’s Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Lord. Thereafter, our works of faith flow from loving Jesus because we want to please Him, not because it is a duty.
Jesus said: “If you love me, you will obey what I command. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” John 14:15, 24
Do Not Follow False Shepherds
Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit, you will recognize them. Matthew 7:15
Jesus warns us to beware of false shepherds by knowing the truth of God’s Word. Because then we will recognize those who portray themselves as righteous yet undermine the teachings of Christ. These evildoers do not love God’s people but care only about advancing themselves. “By their fruit, you will recognize them.”
Hence, be vigilant because false teachers will look good outwardly, but their rebellious hearts oppose God, and their actions prove it. But be encouraged because the Lord Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd of the flock of God, the church. Thus, seek the Lord’s counsel whenever you are troubled and check all teachings against the Scriptures.
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So, when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then, the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” John 10:11-13
Follow the Good Shepherd by Faith
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, and His Spirit lives in the believer. Yet, sadly, many who claim to know Jesus do not follow Him because it is impossible to obey Jesus when you love your life more than you love Him.
Jesus said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23
Those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ by faith focus on Him alone to transform them because they understand they have no righteousness of their own. Therefore, believers rely entirely on the Holy Spirit to follow Jesus and do the things that please Him.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7
Jesus loves you and wants to be your shepherd, to carry your burdens, and give you rest. Therefore, He invites you daily to “Come, follow Me.” Will you step down from the throne of your life and accept Jesus’ invitation?
Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever. Psalm 28:9
Did you accept Jesus’ invitation? Contact Me
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Bible study for “Follow the Good Shepherd”
Week 1: Psalms 23:1-6; 28:9; 86:11; 95:6-7; 100:3; 119:9-11, 176; 105;4; Proverbs 3:5-10; Isaiah 40:8, 11; 53:3-7; Ezekiel 34:1-31; Matthew 4:4, 17-22; 5:14-16; 6:25-34; 7:7-21; 9:35-38
Week 2: Matthew 11:28-30; 22:36-40; Luke 6:46; 8:21; 9:23-27; 15:1-7; 19:10; John 6:40; 10:1-18, 24-30; 12:26; 14:15, 23-24; 15:4-17; Acts 4:10-12
Week 3: Romans 10:8-13; 12:1-2, 9-21; 1 Corinthians 6:18-19; 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 16-18; 5:7-9, 14-15; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 4:1-3, 17-32; 5:1-2, 8-10; Philippians 2:3-5
Week 4: Philippians; 4:4-9, 13, 19; Colossians 2:6-7; 2 Timothy 2:19; Hebrews 11:6; 12:1-3; 13:20-21; James 1:22; 1 Peter 1:13-16; 2:1-3, 11-12; 19-25; 5:1-8; 2 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:3-6, 15-16; 4:16-19
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