March 19, 2013
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Ricky Knows
A Sunday school teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible - Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the chapter. Little Rick was excited about the task, but he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line. On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, 'The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know.'
Y’know, maybe Ricky had the right idea!
In scripture, mankind is often compared to sheep. Sheep are quite defenseless and need someone to take care of them. They are not well equipped to fight off predators. They are also fussy about what they eat and where they drink. A good shepherd knows this, and he takes care to lead his sheep to safe places with good pasture and quiet waters.
"Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalms 100:3 KJVR)
"I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He's only in it for the money. The sheep don't matter to him. "I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me." (John 10:11-14 MSG) I know Jesus showed His love for this lady by sacrificing Himself, and He continues to show His great faithfulness to me every single day.
I like the idea of knowing that God is my shepherd. I like knowing that He takes such good care of me. I know I am, in many way, defenseless against the enemies of life, and I feel secure knowing that He is looking out for me. I want to be sure I always have my ear tuned to His voice, because I know He will not lead me into danger. I like being one of the Good Shepherd’s sheep. I like knowing I am safe in His arms. Maybe, at the end, that really is all we need to know.
Can anybody say, "Baaaaa?"
Comments (13)
Amen! Baaa.
Very nice post, Pastor Mae.
I sure do need my Shepherd in my current situation.
Hope all is going well for you.
frank
The Lord is my shepherd too, and I am ever thankful for His presence in my life.
I think God is the only shepherd to have! I just loved the post with all your grandchildren. Which daughter is having another baby? They are all so precious!
Yes, the Lord is my shepherd!
@VallejoGirl - Thank you! The daughter with the two little boys is expecting again in August.
you gotta a Baaaaa from Georgia
I wonder Mae, have you ever tried to raise sheep? Then again the sheep is the chosen animal that Jesus Chose to represent himself with. I suppose cow raising is more well known even though back in Moses' day the worship of the cow was trying to compete with the worship of the one true G-d.
Will Jesus be a great Shepherd? It will take a walk in faith to find out.I suppose this point in time I will be wondering about the lawmakers and those that watch over us.
@PPhilip - No, I have never tried raising sheep myself, but have several friends who keep them. I think God chose the idea of sheep because they really do not do well left on their own. They need to be protected and looked after. We humans, for all our pride, knowledge, and scientific advancements are still pretty vulnerable.
Dave and I are both Catholics and Dave kept saying,"I feel like a sheep without my shepard." until he got the new pope installed. lol
neither of us are devote catholics like our parents were. It's a part of our lives and we went to catholic schools and all. I think I already like this Pope Francis better then Benedict.
I have never taken down John Paul's photos and probably won't. Maybe just put Pope Frank next to him.
Great thought. And that photo is adorable!
Out of the mouths of children! Yes, that's all I need to know too!
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