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Intimate relationships between husband and wife are described using this word, as: Theoretical knowledge is not enough. We must know God with our heart, not just our mind. I grew up in a Christian home with parents who loved God and the Bible. They instilled the Word in us. I had a good knowledge base of the Bible.
In fact, at age eight, I read the Bible through for the first time. But the knowledge alone was not enough. I needed a personal relationship with the Lord. That requires spending time with the Shepherd and really getting to know Him, through prayer, worship, and times reading the Bible and meditating on it. As we spend time with the Lord, we learn to recognize when He is speaking. Yeshua said that sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
It is possible to know the Shepherd, recognize His voice, and still choose not to follow Him. But, following is the most crucial part for the sheep. He will be isolated from the flock and vulnerable to the attacks of wild animals, as well as the elements. He will not know where to find provision. Only the one who follows the shepherd enjoys all the benefits he provides. In order to follow, we must keep our ears tuned for the voice of the shepherd and keep our eyes on the shepherd.
When He moves, those who are attentive to His voice and movements will immediately move with Him and enjoy the provision, protection, and safety He provides. Interestingly, two of the larger-than-life leaders in the Bible were shepherds: Moses and King David. God called both of these men to become great leaders in Israel while they were occupied as shepherds. It was on the lonely, barren hilltops that they learned to be leaders. In solitude, they learned the lessons of listening to and communing with God. They learned to be ready to deal with any threat or problem that endangered the flock.
David cited some of these abilities when talking Saul into letting him fight Goliath. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.
David had the courage to go after the lion and the bear. He cared enough about the sheep to put his own life in danger. All the while, he knew that God was the One who delivered him as he stepped out in faith to deal with the perils that came his way. Moses was a leader appointed by God to lead the children of Israel. Moses did not lead with arrogance but instead recognized that he was totally reliant on the leadership of the Lord.
God puts leaders in place to shepherd His people. A wise leader recognizes the responsibilities, is faithful to act, but recognizes that his strength comes from the Lord. As the wise leader follows the Good Shepherd, he or she finds success, safety, and provision. In reading the accounts of the kings of Judah and Israel, I am struck by how a king was judged as good or evil in the sight of the Lord.
It was on the lonely, barren hilltops that they learned to be leaders. We began today by talking about the problem with sheep. Thank you for your interest in helping us moderate questionable content on Lulu. Copyright Office website, http: The Father's Food for He is the one who knows His sheep, who calls us by name as the Holy Spirit brings us to faith through His Word. Darby Bible Translation From following the suckling-ewes, he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
It really all boils down to one thing. Like rebellious sheep, they went their own way. I have been a follower, and I am now a leader. Or you could say that I have been a sheep and am now a shepherd. I have learned that leadership is not for the weak, lazy, or unsure. Leadership requires courage, faithfulness, faith, energy, compassion, and the ability to make decisions. There are always sheep in need of care and feeding.
God demands that the shepherd put the needs of the sheep before their own needs. The weak, sick, lost, and displaced sheep must be nurtured, doctored, found, and restored. There are frequently threatening situations and challenges which must be solved. But, most importantly for the Christian leader, he or she must set the example by knowing God, listening to His voice, and following Him wholeheartedly.
The leader who does these things will have his or her priorities in order and will not fall.
Sheep have a few responsibilities too. He has also given us earthly shepherds to lead us. We need to follow those God has put in authority over us, to respect and pray for them. In addition to rulers in the secular realm, as Christians, He has also given us shepherds in the church where He has planted us.
For a number of years, my father pastored a local church. It is a huge responsibility, requiring much more than the ability to preach or teach well. The job of a shepherd includes caring for, nurturing, protecting, and leading. They paid themselves huge bonuses while the workers floundered. God expects a higher standard from leaders. Leaders are to be people of integrity who care deeply about the needs of their flock. Leaders need to take seriously the words of Yeshua who said the two greatest commandments were to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.
Today, some leaders seem to love themselves more. God told Ezekiel to prophecy against such leaders. Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings and you do not feed the flock. Yes, today, we are living in difficult times. In my travels to various countries, I hear about rising unemployment and the difficulty in finding a job. The state of the economy is a deep concern to all. Wars and rumors of war threaten safety and terrorism can strike anywhere. Christians are talking more about the end times and the difficulties the Bible foretells for those times.
Now, more than ever, it is time to turn our eyes to the Shepherd. He knows what we need, and He takes His job seriously. He wants to lead us in the best paths for each of us. Like sheep in Israel, we may not enjoy beautiful green pastures, but even in the rocky, barren hilltops of our current situations, we can trust in our Good Shepherd. In these times, we must learn total reliance on the Lord.
Like the children of Israel in the wilderness, we can trust in Him to provide even in the bleakest of circumstances, but only if we keep our eyes on Him. It will then be reviewed by Lulu Staff to determine the next course of action. Identify in sufficient detail the copyrighted work that you believe has been infringed upon for example, "The copyrighted work at issue is the image that appears on http: Identify each web page that allegedly contains infringing material.
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