Isaiah 40:11 KJV, He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
A Shepherd is a keeper of or one who tends sheep.
He takes them out for grazing, watches over them and looks out for danger and keeps them away from it.
In John 10:11 Jesus introduces Himself as not just the shepherd but the ‘good Shepherd.’
He further gave a striking characteristic of a good shepherd which is to give His life for his sheep (10:15.). We see a practical example of this in 1 Samuel 17:34-35. David demonstrated what it means for a shepherd to give his life for his sheep. He didn’t bother preserving his own life but that of the sheep in the face of danger. David had a good understanding of the role of a shepherd so he said in Psalm 23:1-2, The Lord being my shepherd I shall not want. Because David had once occupied the seat of a shepherd, he had absolute trust and confidence in God who declared himself the good shepherd.
I had severally seen flocks of sheep with shepherds and at non of those times have I seen a sheep wander to another flock. I understood that they recognized thier own shepherds and so do not mix up. A sheep must therefore recognize the shepherd(John 10:14).
Isaiah 40:11 tells us of:
•Providence
•Care
•Safety and guidance
•Understanding
•Succour (John 10:28).
All of these are availed when a sheep recognizes the voice of her shepherd,
be obedient to the shepherd (John 10:27)
Believe the shepherd (John 10:26).
An undeniable attribute of the sheep is humility. If anyone must be a sheep trusting God to lead him through life’s journey, he must be humble to the process.
Instead of still waters, he may decide to take you through troubled waters first, be sure to walk on the water.
Instead of green pastures he may decide to pass you through dry lands (just like Abraham), be sure to sow and reap a hundred folds.
Instead of a 40 days walk he may decide to take it as far as 40 years, be sure to reach Canaan.
Being a sheep to the shepherd means absolute reliance in the ability of the shepherd.
