The Good Shepherd
devotion ·I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ~John 10:14-16
Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd. The first century was an agrarian culture. Sheep. Cattle. Livestock. Were a common part of everyday living. When Jesus describes himself as the shepherd his listeners would know exactly what he meant. They could visualize the sheep, the flock, the shepherd and even a sheep dog or two.
Jesus says that he is willing to lay down his life for his sheep. It is also interesting to note that Jesus mentions that he has sheep from another pen and that he was bringing them over to his flock. He was working on having one flock with one shepherd.
These verses speak very powerfully to me. I feel that God has called me to be a pastor. The term in Greek is literally shepherd. Many years ago, shortly after committing my life to Jesus, I had a dream about sheep. I was walking up a hill and there were sheep to my right and on my left. They were simply lying there, and I heard God’s whisper in my soul say, “Feed my sheep.” I then woke up. God gave me this dream before I responded to his call to ministry. Months later I told my pastor of my dream, and he told me that God was calling me to ministry. When he said those words, it resonated in my soul. I knew he was right and that I needed to begin to align my life to get some additional education and credentialling to pursue vocational ministry to facilitate that calling.
I would also note that being a pastor is not a job, it is a calling. Pastoring is a life defining call on one’s life. It permeates everything I am. Everything I do. In a very real sense, it is who I am. It is who I am as a husband, father, and friend. There was a time back in 2002 when I felt burned out in ministry and stepped aside for a time. I went back to work on a trim crew on the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Lake Resort in Orlando. The day I was carrying my tools on the job, I heard this whisper, “I didn’t call you to this.” I stopped in my tracks. I prayed right then and there. “God,” I said. “I need your help. I need you to open doors for me to serve again as a pastor.” He did. Within three months he opened the doors for me to serve at a church in Beaumont, Texas. We served there for ten years. Nine and one-half of those years were some of the best I enjoyed in ministry. Then God allowed us to move back to Florida. In forty years of ministry Wanda and I have served five churches. Four in the state of Florida. One in the state of Texas. I am honored to be a pastor. I get to do some many things that I love and hopefully make a difference in lives of others.
Lord Jesus thank you that I get to serve you as a pastor. As a shepherd to your people. In Jesus name. Amen.