Day 7

Sheep are essentially defenseless animals, so a shepherd carries a few tools to care for and protect his sheep. He has a rod for guarding and protecting, and he uses a staff with a little crook in it to rescue the sheep..
We are like lost sheep in need of protection and direction—so Jesus came to earth to be our Good Shepherd..
“…….“My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11)
Just as a shepherd uses the physical tools of the rod and the staff for direction and protection, God wants to direct and protect you..
– Jesus leads you in the right direction.
You need a guide in your life—a shepherd—to go before you. You need Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who leads from the front and calls you forward. This is different from being a cowboy, who drives cattle from the back. Jesus is not going to push you through life. He gets in front of you and essentially says, “Watch how I do it. Look where I go.”
When He has led out all of His sheep, He walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know His voice” (John 10:4)
– Jesus is compassionate.
Jesus has compassion on us, because He knows that we are helpless without Him.
“When [Jesus] saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”. (Matthew 9:36)
Jesus hurt deeply for the people in the crowd and wanted to help them..
In the same way, when you bring your pain to Jesus, He doesn’t put you down; He lifts you up..
Because of God’s goodness, Jesus directs and protects you..
Let us place ourselves under the Good Shepherd’s care to experience the security of God’s unwavering love and unbreakable promises..
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake……” (Psalm 23:1-3)