DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE HEART OF THE SHEPHERD

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE HEART OF THE SHEPHERD

Therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord." (I Thessalonians 3:7-8)

The Apostle Paul was comforted to know that the Thessalonians remained strong in their faith and commitment to Jesus. The concern of a true shepherd is for the health of the flock under his care. There is always the possibility that the sheep will wander, not just away from the local body of believers, but from the Great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus, and away from the true faith.

This weighed heavily on the Apostle. That is why he wrote so many epistles to the various churches, encouraging them to stand fast in the Lord. He was concerned that they would drift from the truth. This is reflected in the closing words of this chapter. He prayed that their hearts would be established (vs. 13).

Even though he was not physically present with them, he still carried a burden for their welfare. In one place, after listing all the thing he had been through as a minister of the Gospel – labors, strips and beatings, being shipwrecked, facing robbers, and living in great peril, he said, "besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches" (II Corinthians 11:28). That burden just did not go away just because he was absent from the flock.

Jesus said this about a shepherd who does not care about the flock. He calls him a hireling because he is not dedicated enough to lay down his life for the flock. "The hireling flees because he is a hireling, and does not care about the sheep" (John 10: 13). It takes a deep dedication of the shepherd to devote his life to the welfare of the flock, even in light of the personal expense.

As a former pastor, I know the stress a shepherd endures. There is great joy in seeing a healthy flock, but there is also great sorrow when a sheep strays. It is so intense, that the Apostle wrote in verse 8, "For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord."

Rejoice that you have a shepherd who cares about you – your spiritual health and growth. He is reflecting the love of the Great Shepherd, Jesus.

Love, Dad