A Shepherd's Heart

We live during a time when we really must know them that labor among us, because not all leaders have the heart of the shepherd. There are many wolves in sheep clothing, and there are many hirelings in the world today. So we must first recognize the great shepherd, Jesus Christ. He alone died for us and brought salvation. And only His shed blood on the cross of Calvary can atone for our sins. If He had not granted us His grace, we would all be lost. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep (John 10:11). How will you know the heart of the shepherd? He will always point you to Jesus So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep (John 21:15-16). You will know the heart of the shepherd by the diet you are being fed, because it will cause you to grow and mature spiritually. You cannot take in the Word of God on a consistent basis and not grow. It does not matter how slow your growth is. Understand that everyone does not grow at the same rate, but there must be growth. Everyone's level of faith is not the same, but He did give everyone a measure. And you will have growing pains in the spiritual realm, just as you have in the natural realm. But He promised never to leave us or forsake us. So I encourage you to keep striving. Keep pressing onward and upward. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you willperform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philiippians 1:6). Cheryl L. Black is a mother, evangelist and author of When Faith Becomes Glory. She believes the way to show the next generation the relevancy of the Bible is to reveal its truths through our lives. They must be able to see that He is faithful that promised, and we show them by allowing them to see the strength and power of God's Word working in our lives. They need to see the fruitfulness of our faith in Him, so they can have hope.