It’s that time of year when we start thinking about gardening. As spring means greater warmth and sunshine, it is also a time for planting. April showers produces me flowers, as the saying goes. Preparing the soil music as important as planting seeds.
It’s a great time to be outdoors as well. Breaking out all of the patio furniture and cleaning up the grill is a favorite for most people; Spring cleaning can be motivating. I especially love the sunrises and sunsets that we can see. God’s blessings are new each morning!
Newness can be found afresh in 2021 when we have gone through they terribly difficult year with a pandemic and civil unrest, we have not seen such incredible news events in our lifetime! Yet, there is good news on the horizon!I’m reminded of the story of The Good Shepherd from Matthew 18. In this account we find the disciples arguing as to who his greatest. Yet, we see the response from Jesus in the form of a story!
Sheep tending was a common practice in ancient biblical days. In those days it was a highly honored position among the most lowly of status positions. you were in trusted with the welfare of some of the most honorable of creatures, the sheep.
There are three things that come to mind as I think about this but first let me tell you a joke. **What do sheep like to eat? Think about that for a minute as I break down further what my three thoughts are. I’ll tell you the punchline soon.
Similar we find in Hebrews chapter 10 the importance of understanding sheep in the meaning of the parable.
- Flock Together. Sheep we’re safest when they were with the great Shepherd but even been together as a Flock meant a certain level of safety versus being left alone.
- Encourage One Another. The metaphor that we find is that Jesus encouraged his disciples to stay together for the purpose of encouraging one another. Did you know that there are over 70 “one another“ sayings in the Bible? Certainly it is something that we need to do.
You may ask, how do we know if someone needs encouragement? I love what S. Truitt Cathy said, founder of Chick-fil-A. He said we can tell if someone needs encouragement if they are still breathing!
**What do sheep like to eat? Baaaaanaaaanaaas! 😂
- Have compassion for the lost. We also find that Jesus left the 99 other sheep for that one that had been separated from the flock. Why did it matter? After all, he had 99 which was a pretty reasonable profit for a businessman. But those that tend to the sheep do not see this as mere prophets. Neither did Jesus when he said that one who has left the flock is important! He risked going after the one, who may, metaphorically speaking be you or me!
What is this have to do with a vegetable salad? In Hebrews chapter 10 we find four types of “Let us”. This is likened to a food, it is vita nurisent to our spiritual nourishment; a food staple.
Let us: Draw Near- vs 23 (to God)
Let us: Hold Fast- vs 24 (to truth/from the world)
Let us: Consider one another- vs 24 (to others)
Let us: Not neglect meeting together. vs 24
Do Good = The word “good” appears 749 times throughout the books of the Bible.
Here are the 40 most encouraging Bible scriptures on doing good. :: 40 Encouraging Bible Scriptures on Doing Good – ConnectUS
2020 was a rough year and there is hope in the spring of 2021.
Given all the new language that we have come to understand during the COVID year, allow me tell you some of the good things that God is doing!
In this new day in which we live, we are learning new terms. Let me reflect on this and offer new hope from the lesson on The Good Shepherd and the “Let us” salad. Please hold the tomatoes!
2020 has taught us new terms that we are now using every day and I vocabulary. Terms like social distancing and mandatory masks, and, like never before we have heard from the CDC.
We may have been issued executive orders to require us to quarantine because of COVID-19; instructing us to wear a mask to prevent the spread have a deadly virus; and to distance ourselves from one another! But I tell you this, that’s social isolation might prevent the spread of a deadly germ but we cannot escape death, Eternity has always been knocking at our door!
The face-mask may prevent the spread of the germ but there is good news, we should be spreading the seed of life to everyone. It is good news because of Jesus Christ! What if we could get the gospel to spread like a wild virus?!
We need to remember that only in Christ do we have the right PPE — Personal Protection Equipment - which is prayer and worship as well as through the reading of His Word; We can have our sins forgiven, God eternal PPP - Payment Protection Plan (because He paid it all!) and by his blood we are healed!
In the age of the cancel culture, God has cancelled our sin and redeemed us through Jesus! The World may want to cancel you but God reconciles everyone unto Himself! We are redeemed through His Blood! They may try to cancel your message but God‘s truth cannot be ignored!
We know that every life matters to God, #BlackLivesMatter do indeed matter, as does the life of the unborn! God our Creator, who has knit us together while in our mothers womb and has gifted us through the power of the Holy Spirit for every good work!
While tensions and worries seem to be on the decline there is talk of “herd”immunity through vaccine! Yet, I am here to encourage you that there is only one remedy to the deadly results of sin - which is through Jesus Christ alone. His grace and shed blood is sufficient. You don’t need a second dose because he has done all that is necessary, once and for always!
We can come together as a church to benefit from “flock” immunity!
In spite of all the “fake news” there is GOOD NEWS!
I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins away! **Jesus has paid the debt the He did not own!**
Religion and ritual alone will not save us. Communion with Jesus and his church is necessary. It’s about a relationship. It’s about hearing his voice and staying together that we can be found in the safety of The Great Shepherd, Jesus.
