Our Compassionate Shepherd

 I wonder what we see when we are in a large group of people? Jesus saw through their faces into their souls. I think we should do that more, too. We can tell when people are upset or harried. If we will stop to observe others, we can see what is on the inside by the look on their face or by their mannerisms. We need to care about others, and when we see a need, do our best to meet that need. That is exactly what Jesus did all of the time.(Matthew 9:36) When Jesus saw the people around Him, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited, like sheep without a shepherd. I think that is an excellent description of many people we encounter on a daily basis.

Compassion means to "feel with" someone. Jesus was not unfeeling or disinterested. Because Jesus was God who became man, He experienced all that experience. He had every emotion we feel, and He had all of the stresses of life. He sees when we are distressed. He knows that the stress of life has brought hurt into our life. He sees when we are dispirited, so that our spirit is not positive, but an anchor, weighing us down. He knows when we have not had our needs met, and we are wandering through life with no direction of where to find what we need, like sheep without a shepherd. It is then, He comes to us as the Good Shepherd. He bids us to come and follow Him, so He can provide for us and lead us into His rest and the restoration of all we need to have the abundant life in Him. Please, listen to our Compassionate Shepherd and put away the distressed and dispirited life in favor of the life only He can give. He cares for you!

#NHBaptistdotorg

Tomorrow, I intend to read Matthew 10-13.