Many Of Us Have Been Shepherds And Others Have Had Shepherds Work For Them But Today I Want To Pull Your Attention To Some Of The Things You Certainly Never Ever Knew About a Shepherd.
I Ask You To Relate Them With You And The Ministry That The Lord Has Given You Today. Probably They Could Help You become a good shepherd or sheep. Briefly by definition, A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep.
When I was a little boy, for some years I grazed goats and through that experience I want to bring to your knowledge a life of a shepherd that you certainly never knew or had somehow forgotten. A shepherd wakes up early in the morning almost before anyone else is up, he prepares for his journey to the field with the flock. When he is gone to feed the sheep, Some spend days, others weeks and others months. While in the field, a lot of things happen to them and these are what I want to pull your attention to today. In our Ugandan context, shepherds are one of the least respected group of people because the shepherds do not own the flocks they care for, they are just workers. They are never counted as people, their bosses never take a moment to think about how they help a lot to take care of their flocks, they never thank them or even have a friendly talk with them to know how life treats them while they are out in fields for good pasture. Instead the bosses give them cold food to eat, beat them, harass them and bark orders to them…they are always left with no choice but to take care of the sheep but nevertheless! a shepherd keeps loving his sheep and he remains with them.
Shepherds are often Beaten while in the field and this happens because Some times among the flock there are undisciplined sheep that sneak to the neighbors’ gardens without the shepherd’s knowledge and destroy the gardens and when the owner of the garden comes with his full packed anger he beats the shepherd to his point of satisfaction. And to sometimes, shepherds graze in groups and when a problem comes that could lead them to being beaten they all run away and the one who is afraid to lose his boss’s sheep remains by them and he is beaten alone trying to save his sheep from being taken to police or stolen or reported somewhere.
Most Shepherds always have wounds and bruises. When the sheep tries to escape from the rest, the shepherd quickly intervenes to stop the escaping sheep and during that powerful speed, jumping off rocks and bending under fences. He gets cuts and bruises from the wires, thorns, and stones while trying to stop the sheep from escaping from the fold.
During extreme heat and cold, rain, hail storms and lightening, the shepherd never leaves his sheep to go for shelter because the sheep would scatter, be stolen or die. Most shepherds cover themselves with tree branches or banana leaves during these times and if you have ever been a shepherd you know that a tree branch can’t at all prevent rain from falling on you. I often meet shepherds in the evenings searching from house to house for their sheep/goats or cows. They ask, “have you seen any sheep around?” They aren’t allowed to sleep until all the lost sheep are found.
That is the life of any good shepherd.
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
John 10:11-14 KJV
Jesus often compared his ministry to the shepherd. My question to you is, Do you have any ministry that God has given to you?, What type of shepherd are you? Are you the shepherd that loves the sheep or when rain comes you step aside? Have you sometimes reached a point where you want to quit? Are you being thrown stones after or you are the one throwing stones? do you have any sheep that you take care of or you are a sheep? My Message to you today is that God knows you and your ministry which he gave you, he knows how you are least respected and how you are harassed, he knows your struggle in different aspects of life and how you are less cared about. I ask you by the mercies of God who will rewards us, to hold on that which you were called for, don’t give up even if everybody forsakes you God will always be with you and will take care of you till the end, keep going until your course is done, Stick to the Truth, keep the Faith and don’t forget to pray for your fellow shepherds/sheep out there because you are not alone. On a day like this we shall take our flights to heaven and receive our rewards.
For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
2 Timothy 1:12-14 KJV
I ask to End here, May the Grace of God be with you always and if this message has blessed you kindly leave a comment in the comment section below. TO THE FIGHT!!
Good Child Missions is your bible believers site in Africa-Uganda, a result of Now The End Begins the front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church .
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Galatians 6:9-10 KJV
- HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our Paypal Funding page
When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this ministry. When people ask for Bibles, we give them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Cup of porridge program, Child Sponsorship Program, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.
To the fight!!
“Thank you very much!” – Irad, editor-in-chief, GCM
