The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

                                               

Ezekiel 34:31 You are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.

As soon as I read this chapter of Ezekiel, I thought about other chapters in the Bible that talk about a shepherd and sheep. David wrote about that in Psalm 23, and in the Gospel of John in the New Testament, chapter 10, Jesus speaks of Himself as the Good Shepherd, caring for His sheep. 

The comparisons are striking, considering that Ezekiel lived and prophesied hundreds of years before Jesus came to the earth.    

Ezekiel 34 begins with an indictment against the false shepherds who used the sheep but did nothing to help them in their needs. Jesus spoke of the same thing in John 10.  

Ezekiel 34:12 says: 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 ... 

       Psalm 23:5 = You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

          In John 10:16 Jesus says: I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. 

Ezekiel 34:14 - I will feed them with good pasture ...    

     Psalm 23:1 = The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

          In John 10:9 Jesus says: I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.  

Ezekiel 34:15 says:  I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God.                                                                                      

     Psalm 23:2 = He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters ... 

          In John 10:27 Jesus says:My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Ezekiel 34:16 - 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 ... 

      Psalm 23:4 = Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

          In John 10:28 Jesus says: I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 

I wonder if the disciples thought of this passage from Ezekiel along with Psalm 23 when Jesus talked to them, as I did.

If I ever doubted the truth of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, these three chapters of the Bible would end it all.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, 

     the fulfillment of prophecy, and 

         God's special plan for caring for His children.

 

Earthquake-proof

Psalm 46:2 We will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea …

 Not long ago, central South Carolina experienced a series of small earthquakes (one or two we felt here at home), which gendered a lot of discussion about earthquakes. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was reading about earthquake-resistant buildings and when I read Psalm 46 this morning, I remembered what I had read and saw a spiritual application right away. The article I read said there are five principles to follow when building a structure that can withstand earthquakes. Spiritually speaking, I have those same things available to make my life earthquake-proof:

• An appropriate foundation. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our strength, a very present help in trouble.” If He is my life’s foundation, my fear of falling is gone. I have a good, solid foundation upon which I am building my life.
  
• Seismic dampers, i.e., something to absorb the shocks from an earthquake. Psalm 46:5: “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved.” It is God’s presence in my life that keeps me steady. No matter what happens, I can feel, and be, secure even if life is shaking from unpleasant events. The Bible is full of promises that support this verse in Psalm 46. I have had a few seismic shocks in my experience but I can truthfully say that none of them were able to completely destroy me because in every situation I had an underlying peace that kept me from falling. Yes, I felt the shocks, but they were only that, not anything that could destroy my confidence that God was going to help me through the situation.
  
• A drainage mechanism, i.e., something to keep water from pooling in the soil around you. Psalm 46:4 says, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” The moving stream made me think of the drainage – no spiritual water is pooling around me when my faith is in God. I am constantly being refreshed by His Spirit to my spirit. My human, earthly house has no shifting soil that could cause it to fall.
  
• Structural reinforcement, i.e., frames that transfer the earthquake forces from the roof and floors to the foundation. Psalm 46:6: “The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts." God is in control and is the Ruler of all the forces of the world, both physical and spiritual. His voice is all the structural reinforcement I need to keep my life secure. My regular and frequent visits to God's Word keep me hearing His voice. That voice transfers all my fear to my foundation - my faith in God alone.
• Use of building materials able to absorb large amounts of energy without breaking. Psalm 46:10 sums up this spiritual application: "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth." My faith in Almighty, Exalted God - my knowledge of His holiness and goodness absorb each trial, each unsettling experience, leaving me still strong.
  

All said, I have an earthquake-proof life in God. I have peace and confidence. As long as I keep my safe-guards (my foundation, my dampers, my drainage, my structural reinforcement) in place, I cannot fall or be destroyed.