“I am the good shepherd.” Jesus says of Himself in John 10:11 Jesus is not just any ole shepherd but

“the good” shepherd. I’d call that the perfect shepherd. I have a German Shepherd named Hank. My son named him Hank because he was the one that spent over a year asking for him. For those of you that are dog lovers that may seem extreme to wait that long, but I am not a dog lover. I have never really cared to have a dog as a pet. Everyone in my family loves dogs-has several dogs and then there is me. I don’t fit in with them! When my kids were young they wanted a pet, so I let them have two cats that are still with us today. Cats are my speed-they are easy and we don’t even have to worry about them. They mind their business and are easily cared for. Dogs are like everywhere and that has always driven me crazy.
You might be thinking poor Hank I’d hate to be that dog stuck with me. Let me redeem myself- after a year of making my son wait and pray I gave in! Funny thing is I was terrified of German Shepherds so I researched them like crazy-asked God to give me a sign -and of course He did. I felt like it was ok to get Hank. I had one condition-the dog had to come from a pure bred line and had to be a puppy-so that I could grow up with him. This proved to be a great plan because I know Hank and am not scared of him. So, my world was turned upside down with Hank-in a good way. I had no idea I could actually like a dog, much less, fall in love with a dog. I still feel the same way about dogs-Hank is the exception. Hank became my baby of course. He is almost 3 already. My family thought the world was coming to an end because they couldn’t get over the fact that I loved a dog.
I love Hank so much that I began calling him “ The Perfect Shepherd” to my family in order to drive them all crazy about how much I love him. Their dogs were less than of course-we like to joke around a lot in my family-especially my sister and I-so it was all fun and games. What I didn’t realize at the time that I coined that term was that Jesus would begin to use Hank, “The Perfect Shepherd”, to speak to me about how Jesus is my Perfect Shepherd. I love analogies and God often speaks to me through them.
What does a shepherd do any way? A shepherd protects, guards, tends, guides, leads, nurtures, and watches over his flock. A shepherd defends his sheep and keeps them protected from predators. A shepherd also keeps his sheep from straying. Jesus says in John 10:15, “ Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” Jesus called us His sheep and He is our shepherd. He cares for us like a shepherd watches over his sheep. That’s what a shepherd does all day and night-protects the sheep, herds them to safety and green pastures to graze. He defends them from any enemy. If one goes missing he goes after it-not one sheep is left behind.
Think of David in the Bible-he was a shepherd before he was a King. He had to learn the lessons on the field that would make him a good King. He could take the lessons from herding his sheep to protecting his Kingdom. David learned to fight off the predators that went after his sheep before he ever took down Goliath. Before he guarded his Kingdom. We read about this in 1 Samuel 17: 34-36, “34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.”
How did Jesus speak to me through Hank, my perfect shepherd? He reminded me that just like Hank protects me from predators so does Jesus. If Hank hears one noise he alerts us. Wherever I go Hank goes with me-if I stop walking he stops. If I sit down he sits down. I can’t get away from him. He watches every move I make. When I begin to move from one place to another he gets in front of me to lead me-while watching where we are going. Jesus also never leaves us. His Spirit is living inside of us-we are constantly with Him. He guides us on the right and best path.
There have been many times that we have been laying on my bed together just chilling and Hank hears a noise. He will literally throw himself over my body to protect me. He keeps me safe. He never rest from this position and neither does Jesus. He can detect danger long before I can and sounds the alarm-just like Jesus does with us. Jesus never leaves me and neither does Hank. German Shepherds earned their name of course because of their tendency to shepherd. In Hank’s mind I am part of his herd. He will protect at all cost. Jesus calls us His sheep and He protects us at all cost too. Just like Hank would lay his life down to protect me-Jesus did this for you and me. He laid down His life so we could have everything in Him. John 10 tells us that He laid down His life for us- and those that do not know Him yet. How amazing is this truth.
There is no one more loyal than Jesus to us. Hank is beyond loyal to me as well. Just as Jesus is our nonstop companion, Hank is also my companion. They are both faithful no matter the cost.
I pray today that you would open your eyes to the greatness of God’s love for us. Ephesians 3, “ I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
In Him,
Heather Bradley
The Bible is full of scriptures about Jesus as our Shepherd, I pray after you read these you can look up more as well:
1 Peter 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Psalm 23:1-4 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, 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.
John 10:26-29 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.
Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
John 10:2-3 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
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