We have focused on the bummer lamb the past two days. Today let’s look more closely at the Shepherd.

Our Shepherd has gathered us, held us and has made us His own. He has done so gently and tenderly.

Isaiah is again referenced with a quote from Chapter 42:3. “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”
Lately, I have felt bruised and wounded. We live in tough days and we face hard situations within our families, our neighborhoods, our workplaces and even our churches. It doesn’t seem to get easier does it? But I am encouraged that my Shepherd will not break me or snuff me out. “Your Shepherd Promises He will not snuff you out. His caring hands will gently attend to your injuries and keep your flame alive, weak as it may be”. *

I keep looking for a verse that says, “I promise you a rose garden.” I have yet to find it. In reality the opposite is true. Jesus promised we would have trials and tribulations. He told us people won’t love us because they didn’t love Him either. He warned us of dark days and long nights. Yet even in knowing that, our Shepherd gently reminds us that He brings healing, comfort and peace to our wounds.

Sometimes we can misunderstand His intentions, too. My heart aches and I feel like the pain intensifies instead of lessens. Then I read this, “When the Lord told us that he sent Jesus ‘to bind up the brokenhearted’ (Isaiah 61:1), He used the Hebrew word chavash, which means ‘to bind on, wrap around; bind up as a wound, bandage, cover, envelope, enclose.’ A broken heart bleeds, and the only way to stop the bleeding is to compress the wound. God applies pressure exactly at the injured spot – not to make it hurt but to stop the flow of blood”. Then this quote from Beth Moore follows, “What a wonderful picture of Christ! A crushing hurt comes, and the sympathizing, scarred hand of Christ presses the wound; and for just a moment, the pain seems to intensify….but finally the bleeding stops.”

How often we fight off the help of the scarred hand because at first it hurts even more. Like the bummer lambs that we are, we fear pain, rejection, abandonment. At first the pressing feels like additional pain, not the very help we need. The Shepherd knows what to do. He knows how to care for us. He knows our pain but He also knows the treatment that will stop the bleeding.
Today may you and I allow the Shepherd to tend to our wounds and our hurts. We can kick and scream and hold onto our pain or we can allow Him to tend to our injuries even if it hurts a bit more so the bleeding can stop.

*God Loves Broken People (And Those Who Pretend They’re Not) by Shelia Walsh, page 17

Blessings,
Kathy Withers

Kathy’s on staff at America’s KESWICK in the Development Department. Kathy has been married to her husband Dave for 26 years.  They have two adult children. Kathy is active in her local Church and has previously served as a Teaching Director for Community Bible Study. Her passion is to encourage women to deepen their walk with Jesus Christ by finding and living out the truths of God’s Word.