And I will give you shepherds
according to My heart,
who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Jeremiah 3:14
There's a lot of shepherds out there. Shepherds who lead and cajole with enticing words and decadent feasts only skimming the salty spray of knowledge and understanding. The sheep don't care. They'll follow a voice, a bucket of feed, or just a another sheep who seems to be moving with purpose.
They demand a leader. Left to themselves, they'll gnaw a pasture down to bare dirt or collectively run off in confused panic.
Their short stubby bodies can't see much beyond themselves. Heads lowered to graze or raised to chew their cud, they still have such limited vision. The dangers of predators, cliffs, and barren fields are as hidden in the distant mists as the blessings of a cool pure spring and succulent meal.
The shepherd according to God's heart guides them through life. He sees the distant threats and promises. He looks ahead for rocks or cliffs that could break the sheep's legs. He finds the perfect mixture of grasses to nourish them and may force them away from a field they're enjoying, knowing that it will make them sick later on.
He's walked this field before. He knows when to turn, when to stop, when to struggle on. He decides what they eat and drink and where and when they sleep. He watches each one and keeps them from wandering off alone.
A shepherd equipped with the knowledge and understanding of God, is the only shepherd worth following.
They demand a leader. Left to themselves, they'll gnaw a pasture down to bare dirt or collectively run off in confused panic.
Their short stubby bodies can't see much beyond themselves. Heads lowered to graze or raised to chew their cud, they still have such limited vision. The dangers of predators, cliffs, and barren fields are as hidden in the distant mists as the blessings of a cool pure spring and succulent meal.
The shepherd according to God's heart guides them through life. He sees the distant threats and promises. He looks ahead for rocks or cliffs that could break the sheep's legs. He finds the perfect mixture of grasses to nourish them and may force them away from a field they're enjoying, knowing that it will make them sick later on.
He's walked this field before. He knows when to turn, when to stop, when to struggle on. He decides what they eat and drink and where and when they sleep. He watches each one and keeps them from wandering off alone.
A shepherd equipped with the knowledge and understanding of God, is the only shepherd worth following.
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