Religious Education

Your Good Shepherd, Jesus, Takes Care of You

Whenever you are afraid, remember that your Shepherd is with you.

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Family altar

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3 min read

Contents

Listen to the devotional here.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1 NKJV)

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” (Psalm 23:1 NIV)

Can you tell the difference between different sheep? A good shepherd can, because he loves his sheep in a close and caring way. A good shepherd knows his sheep by name. He can even tell his sheep apart by their looks, their personalities, and even the sounds they make.

With such a relationship of love and care, the sheep listen and follow the voice of their shepherd because they trust him. In the same way, we should listen to and follow God, who is our Good Shepherd.

The shepherd takes care of his sheep by leading them to green, grassy fields and calm waters. He protects them and restores their souls. Even though they walk through the darkest valley, even when their predators hunt them, the sheep do not need to be afraid. Their shepherd is with them; his rod and his staff comfort them.

With their loving shepherd by their side, the sheep have everything they need. He takes care of them.

If a sheep wanders away and gets lost deep in the mountains, it is in great danger from wild animals such as wolves, foxes, lions, and even eagles. How upset the shepherd must be to hear the painful and sorrowful bleating of his lost sheep!

A faithful shepherd would immediately cry out, "My sheep, where are you? My sheep, come back!” A faithful shepherd will do anything to bring his sheep back safely.

David, the shepherd boy who became a great king, fought lions and bears to protect his sheep. In the same way as David saved his sheep from the lion's mouth, so God saved David many times from danger. Because David experienced the tender loving care of God, his Shepherd, he declared, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

In the same way, God watches over you and me. The Lord is the Shepherd of all His chosen people, including us.

Is there anyone you love so much that you would die for them?

A good shepherd loves his sheep so much that he would even face dangers and die to protect his sheep. Jesus is our Good Shepherd—He gave His life for us, and He promises to be with us forever. When you follow your Shepherd, Jesus, you never have to be afraid. With Him, you lack nothing. You have everything you need.

Family Altar

Use these discussion questions and our prayer as a guide for your family altar.

Parents can lead the prayer and invite their children to repeat after them or encourage their children to take the lead, making family altar time a shared journey of faith.

Discussion questions:

  • Why do the sheep trust and follow their shepherd? How can we learn to trust and follow God?

  • What happens when a sheep wanders away from the shepherd? What do you think God does when we go the wrong way?

  • Jesus is called our Good Shepherd. What are some ways we can be good sheep and stay close to Him?

Prayer in words:

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Lord Jesus, You are our Good Shepherd. You know us by name and take care of us. Thank You for guiding us every day and giving us what we need. Help our family to listen to Your voice and follow You wherever You lead. When I am afraid, remind me to trust that You are with me. I love You, Jesus. Thank You for dying on the cross for me. Amen.

Adapted from Hsieh, Ezra. “A Shepherd & His Sheep.” Living Bread, Word of Life Publishing House.

Related Topics

Topical

Peace

See Also

Zechariah Chapter 11 - The Shepherd, Priced at 30 Pieces of Silver

Zechariah Chapter 11 - The Shepherd, Priced at 30 Pieces of Silver

In Zechariah 11, God asks Zechariah to act as a shepherd. Zechariah 11:13 is particularly striking: he is valued at 30 silver pieces, thrown to the potter. This clearly points to Judas betraying Jesus for the same amount, which was later used to buy a potter's field. While earlier chapters point to Jesus as the coming Good Shepherd who visits His flock (Zech 9:9, Zech 10:2-3), the tone shifts here. Chapter 11 depicts Jesus’ betrayal and rejection by the Jews. This rejection has consequences, symbolized by Zechariah breaking two staffs: "Beauty," representing God's covenant with the peoples, and "Bonds," representing the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. This can be seen in the Jews - they themselves rejected the New Covenant Jesus made, and in 70 AD, they were scattered throughout the world as Jerusalem was destroyed. This makes me reflect on the cost of rejecting the Lord. Jesus being sold for 30 pieces of silver was not only the work of Judas, but also of the priests, the scribes, and all the Jews who rejected Him.  The consequences of rejecting their Shepherd were severe. And it has been clearly shown in the Bible to us today as an example. We may think that we will never do something as heinous as the Jews who crucified Jesus. But when we reject Him in our hearts, the consequences are equally severe. Just like the breaking of the 2 staffs, when we reject Christ, we break our relationship with God and His people. God next tells Zechariah to play as a foolish shepherd in place of the previous shepherd, who will not care for the sheep, and even eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces (Zech 11:16). Rejecting Christ the Good Shepherd, Israel has become blinded (Romans 11:7-8) and follows foolish shepherds who do not care for the flock like Jesus does. When we reject Christ, we may seek after other shepherds as our guide and reliance in our lives. These may be actual people we put our trust in, or the false idols that we replace God with, such as money. But these shepherds do not truly have our interest at heart, just like the worthless shepherd in this chapter. Let us reflect today. Are there any areas where we reject Jesus and His words - perhaps for some temporary gain, like Judas? Or because of pride, like the scribes and Pharisees? Let us take heed from what Jesus tells us in John 3:16-18.

Ezekiel Chapter 34 - Reflections On Our Shepherding Ministry

Ezekiel Chapter 34 - Reflections On Our Shepherding Ministry

In Ezekiel 34, God brings a prophecy against the shepherds of Israel, whom God had instituted as spiritual leaders over the flock—His people. Not only had these leaders failed to nourish God’s sheep, they had also abused their power, reaping personal benefits at the sheep’s expense. “The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.” (Eze 34:4) You and I may not so be so bold to abuse God’s flock as these failed leaders had.  It would, however, be foolish of us to disregard these rebukes completely. You likely have others you can look out for in this journey of faith – your sheep. Let us consider: Whatever kind of a shepherd we now are, however our sheep may respond to us, Jesus wants us to always pray and not lose heart (Lk 18:1). The perfect Shepherd is ready to grant us an upright heart and a skilful hand to shepherd His people as David did (Psa 78:72).  More importantly, God is the perfect Shepherd. Where we may fail in our ministry, God can do infinitely more. Despite those shepherds’ failings, God says, “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick” (Ezekiel 34:16). Moreover, when you and I are in our darkest days, we have a perfect shepherd who restores our soul (Psa 23:3). Our Shepherd declares, “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God” (Eze 34:31). As you embrace your ministry of shepherding God’s sheep, never stop allowing God to shepherd you. All the sheep of His pasture fare so wondrously fine His sheep am I.

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