14 For this reason I
kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in
heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his
glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit
in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your
hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and
established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s
holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love
of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you
may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
We can often
talk about numbers and events; however, we can’t lose sight that a crowd is a
gathering of many individuals. Each person has a story and is at a different
point in their walk with God. Enemies of God, infants in the faith, those with
un-confessed sin, and some who are mature could all be among those standing in
the same crowd or sitting in the same row at a church event. However, a true
shepherd will know his flock (Proverbs 27:23).
As a kid, we
use to have sheep on the farm. I was young and don’t recall much about them
other than that they were loud, skittish, and fairly stupid. Mind you that I’m
slightly biased due to the fact that my last interaction with a sheep resulted
in me getting “rammed” into the ground. I believe I was partially to blame for
throwing rocks at him, but his response was still uncalled for. Back to the
text: shepherding sheep is just a tough occupation. Shepherding God’s church,
filled with His children, is likewise an extremely weighty responsibility.
When Paul
speaks of his sufferings (2 Corinthians 11), he gives a long list of physical
abuses he’s endured. Yet at the end of the list he puts what I believe to be
that which afflicts him above all else: “Besides
everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.”
Tending the flock consumes one mentally and emotionally and where are we to
turn with all this concern? To the One who, in John 10:14-15, refers to Himself
as “the Good Shepherd.” “I am the good
shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and
I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” He has not withheld anything from us, not even
His own life. In light of this, I’m challenged to pray with shameless audacity
on behalf of the flock.
Lord it’s with great joy
I come before You today. I thank You for the flock You have gathered to Yourself
and those who You are gathering. Lord, I am confident that You are doing a good
work and You will see it through. Thank You for the church. Thank You for the
church’s shepherds, our shepherds. Please instill them with wisdom that comes
from above. Amen.
Php 1:4-6
4 In all my prayers for all of
you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your
partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being
confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
