Being a Gentle Shepherd

"Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is Near." Phillipians 4:5

John 10:1-5 (The Message Bible)

"Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he's up to no good—a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won't follow a stranger's voice but will scatter because they aren't used to the sound of it."

There is hardly a more beautiful picture than that of a shepherd caring for his lambs. The importance of this is seen in John's word about the True Shepherd, and Paul's words calling for a gentle spirit in our lives.

As we consider the way we carry about in life, let us remember that a gentle spirit is likened unto the Lord's care for us. It should be intentional that we walk about with gentleness as a garment about us. Thus, when people see us and hear us, their hearts are receptive to that "open hands" invitation through our gentleness.

Let our gentleness be the motivating factor in our lives as we meet those in and out of the Kingdom of God. We might just be able to minister God's love to them.

Heroes of Our Time

What sparks our fantasties at times? What drives us to day dreaming?

Who would have been the heroes of Old Testament or New Testament times?

Who would a young boy or young girl want to be like when the only heroes were those who were real people with real heroic deeds?

Samson was a hero to many. But, I imagine that parents did not want their children emulating him. He hung out with a bad woman and was always getting into trouble.

"O God, please strengthen me just once more." Judges 16:28 That prayer gets me to thinking for some reason Samson always knew who to trust when it came to that moment of relying on God for the task before him.

David followed a similar pattern as well. He often looked in places he should not have looked and even had a man sent to his death in the heat of war. Hmmmm, would he be a good hero? "Keep me safe, O God, for I have taken refuge in You." Psalm 16:1 Then again, he knew who to run to in times of trouble.

Is there a perfect hero to model ourselves after....to day dream and wish we could attain that status?

Perhaps we should consider that all who trust in God become heroes as they learn to seek out God in their lives. Someone is always watching our lives. We just might be that hero to someone who catches a glimpse, a moment when we turn to our Heavenly Father and simply say, "Help me!".

Perhaps you do not wear tights, a mask, or a cape. Yet, there are moments when you know that you have been a hero at that right moment even in your own eyes. It was when you trusted God with all your heart. And I imagine that God has someone watching you, so that person could have a hero, if only for that moment.

Rains on the Unjust and the Just !

Ever wonder, "Why do bad things happen to good people? or "Why do bad people seem to do all right in life?".

Perhaps, we are looking at life incorrectly. We live in a fallen world. Everything changed after Adam and Even sinned against God's command.

Look at this picture. Would not that storm touch the lives of all it encounters?

"He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. " Matt. 5:45b

So where does that leave us? It still hurts when a loved one dies. There are still problems when one loses his or her job. Does God care? He does, but we often want to look at things in a way that measures events by what we deem good or bad in our eyes at the time we are experiencing loss, discouragement, or pain.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Would it not be more beneficial to begin by asking our Father how to live through events in our lives so we can to see His handprints and footprints in the midst of life's encounters?

Romans: 8: 38,39 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Yes, it is simple ! But profoundly beyond this world's thinking. God does care, but His love is much deeper than our love of things here. It is the eternal love that carries us through the things we encounter in a fallen world. This world will pass away and all the things that we as humans deem important will pale in comparison to the things He has planned for us. Our journey begins here with all its pains and joys that we will experience in our human flesh. When we are finished with this earthly life there is much much more to experience than we can imagine !!