Tag: restore strength
Jesus, Our Good Shepherd
Scripture reading for October2: Isaiah 40:10-11 “Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and His arm rules for him; behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
Isaiah 40:29-31 “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
John 10:14-15 “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”
Isaiah calls us to ‘behold’ the coming of the everlasting God. God has a reward with Him for the righteous and recompense for the rebellious. As a Shepherd, He will come as God’s ‘Arm’ caring for His flock with compassion. He will be gentle and tender to the young and helpless. He will carry them in His arms renewing their strength.
Isaiah used some questions for God’s weary people to get them to look and listen instead of fainting. He asked if they had heard of God coming and known of God’s plan to send His Messiah? The Creator of the ends of the earth was the Everlasting God Who was sending His Son as the Good Shepherd. He would through His miracles, open blind eyes and unstop deaf ears and restore mobility and strength to the lame and weary. He never tired or grew weary. If God’s people would wait on Him, they would renew their strength and mount up with wings like eagles! He would enable them to run with new strength and joy as sheep with a Good Shepherd!
Prayer: Father God, thank You for sending Your right Arm, Jesus Christ, as our Good Shepherd. Thank you for opening my blind eyes and unstopping my ears. I leap and shout for joy! I trust You to carry me when I can’t move on my own. Amen!