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; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.

- John 10:14-16

Father, hear the prayer we offer:
Nor for ease that prayer shall be,
But for strength, that we may ever
Live our lives courageously.

Not forever in green pastures
Do we ask our way to be,
But the steep and rugged pathway
May we tread rejoicingly.

Not forever by still waters
Would we idly rest and stay;
But would smite the living fountains
From the rocks along our way.

Be our strength in hours of weakness,
In our wanderings be our Guide;
Through endeavor, failure, danger,
Father, be Thou at our side.

Let our path be bright or dreary,
Storm or sunshine be our share;
May our souls in hope unweary
Make Thy work our ceaseless prayer.

-taken from a poem by Mrs Love Maria Willis (1824-1908)

Jesus said: I will be with you always, even until the end of the age - Matthew 28:20

I seem to be all over the place on this posting. I have a couple of different ideas rolling around in my little pea sized brain. I just was not sure which way this post should go, I think I will put forward an overview on this posting and go into detail on subsequent posts.

Jesus referring to Himself as the Good Shepherd my favorite way He describes Himself. We are all sheep, wandering to and fro, clueless when the wolves are about or where or when dangers lurk. He is always diligent, missing nothing and always protecting us. When a sheep goes astray, the Shepherd goes and finds the sheep, carrying it on His shoulders back to the flock. I cannot write this with a dry eye. As I said earlier, the Good Shepherd analogy is my favorite.

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.
-Isaiah 40:11

For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.

I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy I will feed them with judgment.

-Ezekiel 34:11-16

One of my favorite Good Shepherd verses:

Psalm 23

The LORD, the Psalmist's Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.

Over and over the Good Shepherd stresses how He will care for us, provide for us and protect us. He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world, for He has overcome the world. If God is for us, who can stand against us?

I posted this for myself as much as for anyone. Sometimes I lose sight that all is right in the world, "Be still and know, that I am God" -Psalm 46:10 NIV Today I justed needed a little encouragement. As I write this post, my Savior inside reminds me that it is still our Father's world, He alone controls what happens. There are no coincidences, no mere happenings and certainly no luck. What happens is controlled by the One sitting on the throne in Heaven.

Perhaps I am starting to see with that "single eye" our Lord spoke about......