Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

June 19
Thursday


MEET SHREK

READ:
Ezekiel 34:11-16
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I Myself will search
for My sheep and
seek them out.
__Ezekiel 34:11
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Shrek was a renegade sheep. He went missing from his flock and remained lost for 6 years. The person who found him living in a cave on a high and rugged place in New Zealand didn't recognize him as a sheep. "He looked like some biblical creature," he said. In a way, he was. Shrek was a picture of what happens to sheep who become separated from their shepherd.

Shrek had to be carried down the mountain because his fleece was so heavy (60 lbs or 27 kg) that he couldn't walk down on his own. To relieve Shrek of the weight of his waywardness, he was turned upside down so that he would remain still and not be harmed when the shearer removed his heavy fleece.

Shrek's story illustrates the metaphor Jesus used when He called Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), and when God referred to His people as His flock (Ezek. 34:31). Like Shrek, we do not make good choices when we're on our own, and we become weighed down with the consequences (Ezek. 33:10). To relieve us of the weight, we may have to be on our backs for a time. When we end up in this position, it is good to remain still and trust the Good Shepherd to do His work without hurting us. __Julie Ackerman Link

`````````````````````````The King of love my Shepherd is,`````````````````````````
`````````````````````````Whose goodness faileth never;``````````````````````````
```````````````````````````I nothing lack if I am His,`````````````````````````````
```````````````````````And He is mine forever. __Baker```````````````````````````
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God's training is designed to grow us in faith.

***************************Today's Bible Reading __ Ezekiel 34:11-16*************************

11 For thus says the Lord
God: "Indeed I Myself will
search for My sheep and
seek them out. 12 As a
shepherd seeks out his flock
on the day his is among his
scattered sheep, so will I
seek out My sheep and
deliver them from all the
places where they were
scattered on a cloudy and
dark day. 13 And I will bring
them out from the peoples
and gather them from the
countries, and will bring
them to their own land; I
will feed them on the
mountains of Israel, in the
valleys and in all the
inhabited places of the
country. 14 I will feed them
in good pasture, and their
fold shall lie on the high
mountains of Israel.

15 I will feed My
flock, and I will make them
lie down," says the Lord
God. 16 "I will seek what
was lost and bring back
what was driven away, bind
up the broken and
strengthen what was sick;
but I will destroy the fat
and the strong, and feed
them in judgment."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Today's reading uses the metaphor of God as one who cares for
His people as a shepherd cares for his sheep: "I will seek what was
lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and
strengthen what was sick" (v.16). When God became a man in
the Person of Christ, similar language was used about Him: "But
when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for
them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no
shepherd" (Matt. 9:36). As our Good Shepherd, Jesus said, "My sheep
hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27).