Today’s Reading:
Ezekiel 34:23-31
“I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24) And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken. 25) I will make a covenant of peace with them and cause wild beasts to cease from the land, and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26) I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing, and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing.” (vv. 23-26)
The Christ Incarnate, said in John 10: 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep”. Jesus is the only Shepherd who was able to give His life that His chosen people may have life: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13: 20–21). The Messiah restored to us that which we lost to the devil. (1 Peter 2: 24-25 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls). Why is Christ alone the Saviour of our souls? This is true because the Good Shepherd alone bore our sins on the cross and conquered the devil. (Revelation 5:5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll). He not only redeems, but He also shepherds us so we do not stray. He prevailed and established a covenant of peace with us as stated in Ezekiel 34: 25.
The Overseer of our souls established a covenant between us; His people and Himself. Exodus 34: 25-26 says, “And I will make with them a covenant of peace and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing: and I will cause the shower to come down in his season: there shall be showers of blessing.” The Lord will bring a covenant of blessing whereby the enemy will not hinder His goodness; for the covenant is of a heavenly design. The Prince of Peace will accomplish peace between God and His people: (Ephesians 1: 6-7 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace).
This covenant of peace will now and ultimately be accomplished in our daily lives: “And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land and shall know that I am the Lord when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. And they shall no more be prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.” There is a strength as we live in the world and not of it, against the thrusts of those who seek to do us evil, with the hope in the word of God that victory will be found in our Lord: “For ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off” (Isaiah 55:12–13). Our assurance of faith and life is in Christ alone because we are the flock of God’s pasture whom the Lord stands to defend as the Good Shepherd.
The Lord introduced His commandments with these words, “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:2–3). No other could give to His people such deliverance. This same hope is given to His people who have been redeemed from their transgressions. No other could deliver them from eternal death to eternal life: (1 Peter 1: 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,); therefore, “ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). We, therefore, hear the word of the Lord: I am the Lord thy God, who has delivered you out of darkness into the Light of Christ, who redeemed you with His own precious blood!
The peculiar people whom God has redeemed for Himself are His flock. Christ is our Good Shepherd; He is with His sheep (people), and they follow Him with joy and love (John 10: 2-4 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him, the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.) Christ enters into the midst of His sheep by the door as “the shepherd of the sheep”. Our Saviour, our Shepherd, knows us by name; how glorious it is that He knew us from the foundation of the world; and not only that, but He also knows our names. He loves His people and upon the cross at Calvary, He paid the ransom price, taking upon Himself our sins and its punishment, that we might have forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting, making peace for us between the Father and us. Halleluyah!
What a Shepherd!!! To enjoy all the goodness this Good Shepherd has to offer, you need to be a part of the flock of God. How do you do this? Confess your sins, surrender your life to Him. Obey, and follow Him.
IRETI SOLOLA
Prayer:
Thank you Oh Lord for the sacrifice you made on my behalf at Calvary. Thank you for leading by your light in the name of Jesus.
By the blood of your Son Jesus Christ, Father, wipe off all traits in my life that contradict your laws, in Jesus name.
By your leading, Father, please make me an instrument of a glorious change wherever I find myself, in Jesus name.
Father, unite Your Church and fight for us, in the name of Jesus.
Father, be merciful unto Nigeria, let your peace reign, and cause us to dwell in safety again, in Jesus name.
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