Week 22
Isaiah 40:11 “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.”
In both Old and New Testaments, the Lord is portrayed as a kindly, gentle, and protective shepherd of His sheep. One of the more famous passages on this topic is found in Psalm 23, but our text in Isaiah 40:11 is a marvelous statement on this, as well. In John 10 Jesus teaches that He is the good shepherd, who takes care of His sheep.
We note in Isaiah 40:11 how like a shepherd the Lord tends His flock. He gathers us and carries us in His bosom. He gently leads the weak nursing ewes. We see in these metaphors the compassion, the understanding, the tolerance, the patience, and the sweetness of our dear Lord. He does not berate us and beat us down. Rather, He is committed to our good. He intervenes in our lives to care for us, to protect us, and to provide for us as His people.
God reveals Himself and His heart in Scripture that we might see the true nature of our Savior and Lord. The devil tries hard to blame God to us; the enemy accuses God, telling us that God does not care for us, that He is not concerned for our problems and struggles. The exact opposite is true. God is love; He is the epitome of loving concern for His people. No one will ever care for us like our Lord does. He has made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf to demonstrate His love for us in giving Jesus as the sacrifice for our sins (Romans 5:8). And Paul’s argument in Romans 8:32 is this: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”
The Lord has taken care of every aspect of our temporal and eternal needs. He has given to us from His bounty and resources all that is needed, and He has done so with the utmost wisdom, care, and love. Like a shepherd He tends His flock. We look to Him, we trust in Him, we depend upon Him, and we rest our fears in Him. We are His, and He is ours. We belong together, and we can and must trust Him fully and completely. Every day and every challenge presents new evidence of our Lord’s shepherding us in this life. And one day the good shepherd will take us home to heaven to live with Him in joy and in eternal holy delight.
Christian friend, do your best for God’s glory, and trust Him to care for you in all things. He will not fail as your abiding, loving shepherd.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for tending to me. Thank You for carrying me when I feel I can’t go on. Thank You for being gentle, loving, and wise with me. I trust in You. Amen.