Great Shepherd

"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care." Psalm 95:6-7

There are many reasons to worship God. There are any reasons to bow down to Him and kneel before Him. One of the less obvious titles of God when considering worship is Shepherd. Shepherd seems like such a servant role. As a pastor I have a very serious connection to the Lord being my Shepherd. I am one of His flock and under His care. I am a person in His pasture. Sure He is my Maker and my God but also my Shepherd. He is the Great Shepherd of the sheep.

As a pastor it is tremendously comforting to know that He is the Great Shepherd. One of my standard responses to compliments or praises I get for serving Him is to say that. "I work for a reputable employer." Always try to defer to Him when it comes to accolades. He is the best watch care giver ever. He cares for all of us.

Now let me consider how this works in reality. I want to come to Him and bow down in worship, to kneel before Him as my Maker and glorify Him. These verses give a good reason why...... "for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care." I must be in His pasture first and I must receive His care, personally. If I stray or if I fail to flock together with the other sheep, this role and function of His is not as effective for me.

As pastor I must keep us together, I must make sure that I am under His care and show others His care and how to receive it. The closer we draw to Him and each other, the easier it is to function like a flock. The fewer strays, the easier it is to be safe, find pastures and care for all. In this world today we desperately need His people in our lives and to stay very close to Him. When we don't 'flock' very often we are more likely to stray and less likely to get the care we need.

I hope you fellowship often. I hope you are in a flock. I hope you have a Great Shepherd and a pastor too. This is God's plan for both accountability and spiritual growth, for Christian family and for being the Body of Christ. Don't get lost in church, or just drift through. Make a commitment to Him and stay close to the flock. Find a way to plug in and find a place to serve Him in a family of God. Not always easy but certainly the right thing to do.

Your fellow sheep and a pastor.
Pastor Fred

Tweet