Episode 70

Ever since mentioning that viral video last week of a sheep jumping right back into a ditch after being rescued, I’ve been bombarded by Bible verses having to do with Jesus as our Shepherd and the promises God has made to his sheep. A couple verses from Hebrews 13 have been hounding me, so I decided to read them today

If you missed that funny video I mentioned last week, I included a link again today. Thankfully, God rescues us out of the ditch—even when we jump into it again and again.

The author of Hebrews gave a word of blessing by writing “May [the great Shepherd] equip you” and “May he produce [good things] in you.” In other words, the power of Jesus Christ is able to equip you to carry out the will of God. The power of Jesus Christ is able to produce God-pleasing qualities in you. But you must allow the Shepherd to shepherd you.

Mark 6:34 says, “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” (NLT)

Whenever we stray and then cry out like a lost sheep, we can be certain the same grace that saved us from hell and gave us eternal life will pull us out of the ditch and set our feet upon solid ground. By God’s grace, you and I have a Shepherd to guide us, protect us, and rescue us every time we fall. We have a Shepherd who not only pulls us out of the ditch, but also equips us to steer clear of the ditch. We have a Shepherd who speaks in a voice known by his sheep.

Let’s listen to our Shepherd and claim his promise of grace.

Longing to Belong: Discovering the Joy of Acceptance is now available for purchase on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Walmart.com, Booksamillion.com and Christianbook.com. It’s also available for download to your Kindle or from the Apple store for your iBooks app. Or visit my website to purchase a copy at shawnamariebryant.com

Enjoy this 10-Day Reading Plan on the YouVersion Bible App

This week’s scripture: Hebrews 13:20-21