Shepherd of my soul

What did a biblical shepherd do?  A shepherd in biblical times is someone who spent all day with sheep.  Tending to them, keeping them safe, seeking them when they are lost.  They are not the high paid celebrity of a town official or tax collector.  They were dirty, had to sleep outside, smelled like wet wool when it rained and they were a step up from poverty.  They were laughed at and made fun of.  

But when Christ was born, an angel appeared to shepherds in the fields, watching their sheep.  Not only did they see an angel, they saw "a great company of the heavenly hosts" (Luke 2:13).  The angel didn't go to the inn where, because it was full of people, there was no room.  The angel did not appear to the king with a declaration saying "Christ is born".  The humble shepherd is who they sought out.  

Since the sheep were the shepherds livelihood, they would be there during the lambs birth, they would direct the flock in the direction that they needed to go, and protect them from predators.  David was a shepherd before and after he was anointed king by the prophet Samuel.   Look at all he did for his flock.  He killed lions and bears, he played his harp for and sang songs to them.  Shepherds loved their flock.  They knew their flock and in turn, the sheep knew the voice of their shepherd.  

In John 10: 14-15, Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd, and I know my own and my own know me, even as the father knows me and I know the father, I lay down my life for the sheep." (NASB)  

The only difference between a shepherd leading a flock, and Christ leading us, is the way we are lead.  To be directed by the Lord, we need to read His Word and meditate on His teachings.  We need to understand that the impressions that we have are His directions and we need to act on them.  The more that we do, the easier it will be for us to.  We need to meet with fellow believers and allow them to be an impact in our lives and be one in theirs.  To lovingly hold each other accountable.

This journey we are on is not an easy road, but as we lean into the Lord and seek His wisdom, it is going to get easier.