To hear no other voice except the voice of the True Shepherd is a blessing … a desired spiritual goal … a longing of our souls … a prayer of our spirit … to hear no other voice but the only voice that matters … the only voice that can bring salvation … the only voice that brings with it restoration … to hear our name spoken by that voice … the voice of the True Shepherd.
Scripture: Acts 20:17-38
This is Paul’s farewell speech to the Ephesians Elders. It is a word of warning and a word of hope. It is a farewell that addresses the reality of what Paul was heading towards and the needs that they will face in his absence. It is an encouraging word to be shepherds to those placed in their care by God who bought them with his own blood.
Reflection: Sometimes we are dependent on the presence of others for our spiritual strength as the Ephesians elders where on Paul. But, the time comes when our spiritual mentors do leave us and the spiritual work of the fellowship of believers falls into our hands. It is good to be reminded that the people in our care, as their shepherds, are not ours, but Gods … and our strength for serving them and helping to meet their needs doesn’t come from us but from God … if we are but dependent on God’s word and his grace.
Prayer: May I, True Shepherd, be worthy of the trust that is being placed in my hands to shepherd your people and look after their spiritual needs. May I stand upon your word and allow your grace to work through me … now and always. In the name of that eternal grace Jesus Christ. Amen.
Further reflection from And the Angels Were Silent by Max Lucado
“Go to the effort. Invest the time. Write the letter. Make the apology. Take the trip. Purchase the gift. Do it. The seized opportunity renders joy. The neglected brings regret.”
And from Classics of Western Spirituality Series by George Herbert
“Lord, who hast form’d me out of mud,
And hast redeem’d me through thy blood,
And sanctifi’d me to do good.
“Purge all my sins done heretofore:
For I confess my heavy score,
And I will strive to sin no more.
“Enrich my heart, mouth, hands in me,
With faith, with hope, with charity;
That I may run, rise, rest with thee.”
The Struggle: The reality of my ministry is that all too often when I stand up for Jesus I simply stand in his way instead of allowing him to work through me. Being a pastor to a people is truly a trust … a sacred trust … that comes not from church elders, but by God himself. The struggle, at least for me, is to keep that ever before me … to follow his agenda and not mine … to fulfill his desires for the congregation and not mine … to express God’s opinion not mine … to bring about God’s desire for the body of believers and not mine … to keep him ever before the people and fade into the background … to allow the people to see only Jesus and not me!
Have Thine Own Way, Lord by Adelaide A. Pollard
Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou are the potter; I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
while I am waiting, yielded and still.
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