Care For The Flock

God is looking for those whose hearts align with His heart. He calls for us to seek justice, do what is right, and give to those who need help. 

“The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul…I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” Samuel did what the Lord said. Consecrate yourselves and come…the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one…that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.” 

1 Samuel 16:1-18

This first passage is full of wisdom that can shape the way we live. As we begin, we see Samuel, who was strong in the Lord struggling with what has happened in his life. Even he allows the fear of what Saul might do concern him, but he moves beyond fear by being obedient. How many of us get stuck in a place of fear? How often do we allow what might happen keep us from continuing the call to be obedient? Obedience is the key to moving beyond places we do not belong. 

God tells Samuel, what matters most to Him in a person. He says do not look at the outward appearance but look at their hearts. How often do we judge a book by its cover? We live in a world of outward appearance whether it is on social media or the fashion scene. David is chosen not because of his great power or wisdom, but because of his great love. He was chosen becaues his heart aligned with God’s. What was David doing? Tending his sheep. What does God do all the time? Tend his sheep. God is always working to rescue, rebuild, restore, renew and revive us.

After Peter betrayed Jesus, do you remember what does Jesus told him to do? Do you remember how Jesus restored Peter after the three betrayals? He restored Peter by asking him if he loved Him, then redirected Peter's focus to tending His sheep.  Have you ever wondered what God wants you to do with your life? Have you ever wondered where you can find meaning? Ask yourself who you could help. When you consider the people in your lives, who could you help tend by truly seeing and serving them? 

“Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you. The nations will fear the name of the Lord, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory. For the Lord will rebuild…Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord: In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.” Psalms 102:1-28

Our natural inclinations in life are to evaluate how things are going for us based on the outcomes we experience. We measure what we perceive as good or based by how something affects us. This song showed how David had a different way of looking at a blessed life. His focus was on the eternal and he saw that the blessing is for those who will come beyond his last days. He wrote this song for people, not yet born who will praise God. He wrote about how he helped bring the kingdom and by standing on the promise the blessing is for his children to live in God’s presence.  

Of all that you do with the work of your hands and energy you use every day, what is eternal? What will last beyond your lifetime? What would happen if you prioritized your life according to what lasted beyond you? How would that shift your focus or fundamentally change how you live? Morrie Schwartz, a terminally ill man, who was interviewed by Mitch Albom in the book 'Tuesdays with Morrie' was quoted as saying "the only thing that remains is the love you create." What love will you create today? How did God uniquely create you to create love?

“How is your beloved better than others, most beautiful of women? How is your beloved better than others, that you so charge us? His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven. His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted like jewels. His cheeks are like beds of spice yielding perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh. His arms are rods of gold set with topaz. His body is like polished ivory decorated with lapis lazuli. His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars. His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely.” 

Song of Songs 5:9, 11-16 

Mirroring the truth that God told in first Samuel, the bride speaks of her love and describes his outward appearance. She spoke in the way that other people often measure a person. She spoke about how handsome and rugged he was. Is that not one of the first ways we consider whether we are attracted to someone? We tend to look on the outside first, but we all know that the outside appearance of each of us will fade.  How much time do we spend trying to make our outward appearances pretty? How much focus do you have on the outside? 

Would we not be better served evaluating our hearts? The one clue that she might care about the inside is that she described the sweetness of the words of his mouth. She says that his mouth is sweetness. The Bible says that it is the overflow of our heart that our mouth speaks. Our words tell others about who we really are and what is in our hearts. What do your words say about you? How could you use your words to care for others?

“Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The multitude of your sacrifices what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough…Stop bringing meaningless offerings! I cannot bear your worthless assemblies…Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow…Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the Lord will perish.” Isaiah 1:2-28

God says something incredible in this passage. He reminds us that there is nothing we can do to make ourselves right with Him. He reminds us that we are guilty in our sin. He reminds us that we have rebels and been unrighteous.  He reminds us that we have offered meaningless sacrifices and gone on sinning. But He does not leave us broken. He restores and rebuilds us. He promises us that he will make us white as snow. He is the Redeemer and Restorer. The Savior and One who sets us free from the penalty of sin. He does for us, but we could not do for ourselves.  We could not stand up for ourselves, so He stepped in and sent His Son Jesus. 

Then His call is for us to do the same thing for other people.  He shows us that if our hearts are to align with his heart of redemption and restoration that we must help the people who cannot stand up for themselves against injustice and oppression. He specifically says the fatherless, the widows, basically the most vulnerable people in our societies. When you consider your community, where do you see injustice or oppression? Where do you see people hurting or in need of help? Where does your heart break for what breaks the heart of God? What will you do about it? 

“And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.” Revelation 15:2-8

The people who are victorious sing a new song. Is that not us? They do not go on singing the same old sad song. They sing of the Savior and how they have been saved. Are we not victorious over sin by the blood of the lamb and the beauty of his sacrifice? John is shown what it looks like to walk in victory.  He says the people who are a victorious will sing a new song. It is a song that is not self-centered. It is a song of salvation and redemption. The words of the redeemed should sing of his great and mighty deeds, his generosity and grace that others would come and worship the living God. What song are you singing? How do your words help draw people to Jesus? 

The end of the passage, John is told that until things are set right they cannot return to the temple. The text says they could not enter the temple and until angels completed their work. God has a plan in the plan will be fulfilled.  How will the work of your hands today or the way in what you live help for God’s plan of redemption in the world? 

What sheep could you tend, what wrong could your right, what broken heart could you mend, what mourning could you comfort, what need could you meet, what love could you create? Jesus said that how we love the lowest and the most vulnerable is how we love Him. Let us be like David and be found tending sheep. Let us live by the power of the spirit and use our freedom to find out how we can free others from their hurts and hardships by sharing the good news of the love of Jesus Christ, speaking life, and by serving like He does.