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Do you really need Jesus to be your shepherd?

Jesus once described himself as a “good shepherd” who was willing to lay down his life to protect his sheep. While I always understood this idea in theory, I missed the significance of it because of where I was born and where I grew up. 

You see, in Australia and most other western countries, sheep are kept safe inside fenced-off paddocks with food and water—so they don’t really need a shepherd. There was no shepherd anywhere near this lamb on the morning I took this photo. It didn’t need a farmer or a shepherd because it was safe inside a barbed wire fence next to its mother. 

But Jesus calls his followers to be out in the world beyond the fence line where the dangers are real. When we’re out in the world, we HAVE to rely on Jesus as our shepherd, and have faith in our shepherd's promise. We HAVE to trust that He will step in to take care of us in every situation that we face on any given day. 

So I want to ask you … are you staying safe behind the fence—or are you going out to where Jesus is calling you, and where you have to rely on him?   

For reflection:  

"I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me" — John 10:14