Dear Heavenly Father,
I am continually overwhelmed by the tender way in which You love us. You have helped us throughout history through people like Abraham, Moses, and David. These men provided great leadership as shepherds. The occupation of a shepherd is mentioned many times in Your Word. King David, the psalmist, beautifully tells us how You chose him, and he also tells us about the responsibilities of a shepherd in Psalm 78:70-72(NLT). This passage says, “70 He chose his servant David, calling him from the sheep pens. 71 He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—God’s own people, Israel.”
The occupation of a shepherd was still very relevant when our Lord and Savior came to the earth. In a practical sense, a shepherd faced continuous challenges of getting his sheep to obey his commands, but a good shepherd would do so while taking tender care of their flock. Our precious Master referred to himself as a shepherd, and he is exceedingly caring and selfless. As believers, we are his sheep, and sometimes we get out of line and do not obey our shepherd. We see this happening numerous times in Your Word, but You rescue us and show us the errors of our ways continually.
People run hot and cold in terms of their obedience to Your statues. Just like those in the Bible, they obey for a season, and then become slack in their responsibilities. Sometimes they become bored, or they are tempted by pleasures of the flesh. The virtues of patience and endurance escape us sometimes, and this always leads to a sore consequence that lands us in a world of trouble.
When we fail to heed Your warnings, we end up with a situation that is so twisted and chaotic that it brings our lives to a halt. Father God, in the name of Jesus Christ, please help us to avoid the mistakes that cause us to lose stamina and momentum on this journey. Please open our eyes to the tricks of the enemy, so that we will not let our guard down, and be vigilant to do what You expect. Father, we don’t want to become stranded and lost. We desperately need Your guidance, protection, and care. We need You so much Heavenly Father. Please never let us go so far in selfishness or pride that we lose our way.
Thank You for being such a loving, generous, and merciful Father. Thank You for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Please let Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Please Don’t Let Us Go Too Far”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.