Walk in Wisdom

Isaiah 40:11a
He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom …

I fear this shepherding analogy can become so familiar to us that we smile and move past it like leisurely Christmas Eve drivers looking at lights. But we can’t drive past this one: it’s driving us. So let’s take a fresh look at the analogy again and pray for the Spirit to rekindle our amazement. When Christ says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep,” have we recognized that Christ’s goodness is infinitely more meaningful than the cup of coffee we describe with the very same term? And have we pondered that His laying down of Himself isn’t just a one-time, in-the-past, heroic action but a moment-by-moment, ever-present condition, whereby He’s always in the state of laying Himself down for us, always interceding for us, always stooping down to walk at our level and speak in our tongue and lead us through the highs and lows of life?

Christian—little lamb, burrow your worried head and wandering feet in your Shepherd’s empathetic arms today. He’s already walked in your wool, and He knows the way like no one else.