This is my very first “Quotes from my Readings” and let me start off by saying that I completely stole this idea from a pastor and blogger, Casey Lewis. Casey is a pastor in Texas and writes at Christianity Matters. Please take the time to go visit his blog!
Over the past five years I have actually started to enjoy reading. I have come across some great quotes in these books that I would love to share on Twitter or Facebook but there is just not room enough to expound on them, so I wanted to start sharing some of them on my blog.
So here goes…
Do You Think Of Yourself As A Sheep?
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” – Psalm 23
Tony Evans writes in the book “God Is More Than Enough” the following,
Of all the sins a person can commit, at the top of the list is self-sufficiency, for it is fundamentally the sin of pride.
He goes on to say,
If the Lord is your Shepherd, He will meet all your needs. By allowing Him to freely do this for us, we can rest assured that whatever possible need arises, our Good Shepherd is sure to be there.
He goes on to list three character traits of sheep:
- Dumb – sheep are extremely stupid animals
- Defenseless – they are animals that can not take care of themselves | They are vulnerable animals
- Dirty – willing to stay dirty forever unless the shepherd gives them a bath
He closes with this,
“The good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). The superior shepherd is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice – he puts it all on the line for the sheep.
And so when selecting a shepherd for your own life, the proof of a good one is whether that shepherd has given his life for you. And you have that proof. This is exactly what Jesus has done for you. You know He loves you as no one else possibly can.
But then he makes this statement,
But in order for Him to be your Shepherd, you must first recognize yourself as a sheep. And if you don’t think of yourself as a sheep, you’re not qualified to receive Him as your Shepherd”.
THINGS TO PONDER:
- Is the Lord your Shepherd?
- Are you willing to start acting like a sheep in order for Him to be your Shepherd?
RESOURCES:
- Tony Evans, God Is More Than Enough, 9, 10, 20-21
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