The Good Shepherd

Lately in our homeschool, we have been reading the book, "The Tanglewoods' Secret" by Patricia St. John. I have really enjoyed listening to my husband read it to our children several nights a week. In the book, one of the main characters, Ruth meets a pastor who gives her a picture of the Good Shepherd and leads her to salvation in Christ. This is the picture that he gives to Ruth:

This picture is of great intrigue and interest to Ruth, who knows a shepherd and knows how much a shepherd will sacrifice for his sheep. She knows a shepherd who lost a sheep in the story, and how his hands were so cut up by the brambles in which the sheep was ensnarled when he untangled the sheep. She sees in this picture how the shepherd is nearly risking his life for the life of the sheep, who got himself stuck on a precipice, with a large bird ready to take it's life.

Isn't that how our good shepherd is to us? He loves us so much that He sent His son to die for us, even when we don't deserve it! Even when we have sinned against Him! What a precious gift of grace!

Grace as I learned is:
God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense

So we can experience God's riches because of Christ's sacrifice for us-- for YOU and ME! It still is unfathomable to me how BIG that gift truly is! I hope you have accepted it, if not, please do so today. You can find out more info here.

John 10:1-10

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ² The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” ⁶ Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Do you know the Good Shepherd and the depth of His love for you? I hope so!