Good Shepherd

Not Good Enough!

/ pastorpete51 / 8 Comments 
“I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” John 10:11 ESV

“You are not enough!” Colonel Phillips shouts to Steve Rogers, in the first Captain America film. Colonel Phillips wanted an army of superheroes, but all he ended up with was Steve. Of course, later in the film we find out that Steve actually is good enough, but the colonel needed a lot of convincing. Maybe the reason I love that movie is because I can identify with not being good enough.

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When I was a little boy, I didn’t think deeply on it, but I sensed that I was somehow not good enough, because all the other kids had a dad. Then, when I was five, mom remarried and my new “dad” showed up with his crew-cut, a dark mustache and lots of strict rules. He had rules about sitting at the table – “no talking at the table and eat all the brussels sprouts.” There were rules about shining my shoes on Sunday, making my bed like his drill sergeant had taught him and most of all rules, about playing the clarinet. He loved the clarinet, played in a chamber group, and listened to Benny Goodman and Pete Fountain. They all sounded fine, but in spite of daily practice, when I picked up that instrument more squeaks and squawks came out than the proper dulcet tones. I was not good enough. Saturday music lessons didn’t help much, and my afternoons, when my friends were out playing baseball, I sat in the basement room struggling with my instrument. My lower lip was often split by the reed and if I thought at all of heaven it was the place where no one had to play the clarinet ever again! Bringing that, “Not good enough!” struggle into my job, my family, and my church life, made me work tirelessly to do better, yet left me with the nagging feeling that no matter how hard I tried, I could never be good enough for God. Of course, I knew that I was saved by grace, but I figured God just sort of put up with me from there. I still squeaked and squawked at playing the notes of life and God had lots of rules that I couldn’t keep up with. But over the course of fifty plus years following Jesus, I have begun to learn the love of my Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for me. He doesn’t first ask me to play perfectly, sit silently at HIs table, and shine my shoes on Sunday. He first gave His life and then called me to follow Him. Sheep do not always follow perfectly. We are not fast, strong, or smart. We don’t even smell good! Yet despite all our many faults and failures, He loves us and by His wonderful merciful grace we belong to Him!

His Rod and Staff Comfort Me

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments 
“...I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff comfort me.” Psalm 23:4b

I have often wondered exactly what this part of the Twenty-Third Psalm meant. Thinking back to my own childhood, a rod and staff were not a source of comfort, rather dread, because they were used by my parents to administer needed correction to me on occasion. But then I came the seventeenth chapter of Exodus. In this story, while the people of Israel were being led by Moses around the desert for forty years, they were thirsty. Deserts are not hospitable places. No one says, “Hey let’s go and hang out in the desert for a month!” As we might expect while the Israelites were there, they ran out water, and things were looking pretty bleak. But these folks had also experienced many major miracles. They had seen the Nile turning to blood, and the parting of the Red Sea. Yet, though they had seen God taking care of their needs time after time, they didn’t go to Moses asking, “What miracle will God do this time?” Instead, they showed up at his tent door shouting, “Did you lead us here to kill us all with thirst?”

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But God was patient, and instead of telling Moses to whack them over the head with his staff, he commanded him to strike a large rock. When Moses did that, suddenly fresh cool water poured out. Later on, when things began looking up, an enemy army showed up to attack them. During the battle, Moses took his staff, climbed a hill, and held it up. While he did that, Israel’s soldiers begin beating back their enemies, but when he was tired and his arms begin falling, they started losing, until his brothers came and held his hands up.

And then I thought that, just like those people, when we are in our dry places, God’s staff struck the rock at Calvary and from that source of Christ’s suffering, God refreshes our souls with mercy. And in our own desert journey when we find ourselves under attack God is not absent, He is watching over us, and lifting up the rod and staff of His Word over us. But, unlike Moses, God’s arms never grow tired. He never wearies, and no matter what we lack or are fighting, God promises to be with us. He comforts us with His rod and His staff and with His Spirit gives us victory over every enemy. Then, at the end of our journey He promises that those who are faithful to Him will be welcomed into His presence where His goodness and mercy will follow us for all eternity!

Caretaking or Caregiving?

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments 
He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom and gently lead those who are with young. Isaiah 40:11 NKJV

Though I am long retired, I still act as a caretaker for what is something of a gentlemen’s farm. NO, I do not perform any of the physical labor, rather I simply manage the accounts, paying the taxes, insurance and the various men who care for the property. In view of the responsibilities, perhaps the word, “Caretaker” is misapplied, as I do take care from the place, instead, I diligently watch over the various activities with the good of the owner in mind. On another track, my wife and I have also become the “Caregivers” for an elderly friend, whose house was flooded out in a hurricane over a year ago. Her struggles with Alzheimer’s as well as a recent stroke have left her in need of people to guide her through basic daily activities.

Both of these separate duties call for a giving that only dimly shadows the care-taking and care-giving of our Good Shepherd. In today’s verse God says that He gathers the lambs with His arm. No rough shepherd’s rod and even the long staff employed in directing the sheep is pictured here, instead God tells us He gathers us in His very arms, lifts us up and carries us. He does not get tired, impatient, or bored with the mundane duties of seeing to our daily needs. When we ask He provides bread, when we weep in contrition, He forgives, when we plead for the needs of others, He listens. Then in this last part of the verse we catch a glimpse into the heart of our God, as He gently leads us as we gently lead the ones He has placed in our care! What a wonderful Savior and Caretaker! What an amazing eternal Caregiver and Good Shepherd, we have in Jesus Christ our Lord!

As I sat in the hospital emergency room again last night, I was blessed to see that the television in the room was playing a TBN special with Matthew West. This particular song brought me peace and encouragement in the uncertainty of the moment, and I pray it will also draw you heart to our Savior whatever circumstance you are facing today.