I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Your Good Shepherd
Shepherding has been a vital part of Middle Eastern life for thousands of years. And 2,000 years ago in ancient Israel, shepherds played an especially important role in the local economy.
Shepherds would not only lead their sheep to green pastures and freshwater, but they would also defend their flocks against predators, robbers, and other natural threats. They would nurture the weak, chase after wandering sheep, fix fences, persevere through extreme weather, and endure long seasons of loneliness.
If necessary, a shepherd would even put himself in harm’s way, risking his own life for his sheep.
It’s this ordinary, lonely life that Jesus chose to use to explain who He was to His people…
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
John 10:11 ESV
By using a tangible example that first-century Jews would have understood, Jesus revealed characteristics about Himself.
Just like a shepherd, Jesus was—and is—humble, selfless, hardworking, concerned with the details of our lives, tender, brave, dedicated, and unafraid to lay down His life for His people.
But Jesus isn’t just a good shepherd; He is the Good Shepherd— and He wants to be your personal shepherd. So will you let Him? Will you trust Him with your life today?
“For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, the mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, the captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable. When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand: in that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.”
Isaiah 3:1-7 KJV
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Unshakeable
Isaiah 40 is a chapter of comfort and hope. It was written for a people living in the shadow of exile, weighed down by the consequences of sin and the fear of what lay ahead. But right from the beginning, in verse 1, God speaks words of reassurance: “Comfort, comfort my people.”
As the chapter unfolds, we see a beautiful tension. On one hand, we are reminded of the frailty of human life: “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field” (verse 6). Life is fragile. Our efforts fade. Seasons change. The things we build, rely on, or admire can crumble in an instant.
But then we read Isaiah 40:8: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” This is the turning point. While everything around us is temporary, God’s Word is unshakable and eternal. His promises never expire. His truth never becomes outdated. His voice still speaks comfort and strength today, just as it did then.
The chapter goes on...
