The Brave Shepherd

    There has been a bare place on one of our bedroom walls since we rearranged our room to install a mini-split unit two years ago. I could have hunted around for a picture to fill it, but I had a feeling that spot was reserved for something special. A few weeks ago I saw this canvas online and Reed made it my birthday gift. There are many nice prints available showing Jesus in his role as shepherd. One that is popular now shows a robed Jesus racing toward a lost sheep. It is a nice sentiment, but that lamb is only wet and muddy, not in immediate danger. The picture below is called, "Jesus Protects His Sheep from Wolves." But I think of it as The Brave Shepherd. To me it illustrates the eternal security of our salvation. If David snatched a lamb from a lion's mouth (1 Sam. 17:34-37), would our heavenly Shepherd do less? This picture shows the Savior I called on when Satan tried to snatch my son into the darkness of addiction. Yes, Jesus is meek, but not when He's fighting for His own.

 

 

The Brave Shepherd

Jesus lived meekly upon the Earth,

a world He spoke into existence.

Jesus suffered meekly upon the cross,

built by people He created,

and could have destroyed

with a single Word.

 

It took a strength I will never

possess nor understand,

to restrain His powers 

in the face of such unjust suffering,

the omnipotent God meek and mute

in the hands of helpless humans.

 

But it would do no good

for the Shepherd to sacrifice His life 

for His sheep, if He did not first 

defeat the enemy trying to kill them.

His love for us is not mute.

His defense of us is not meek.

 

Jesus did not just find us once, 

alone, helpless, and lost,

He seeks us still. He keeps us forever.

And our Shepherd is not just good,

He is protective. He is powerful.

He is brave. 

9/25/24