FOLLOWING THE SHEPHERD

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,”. (Ephesians‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

The pastor has been assigned the duty of leading God’s flock. He can only do so effectively as he follows the Lord our Shepherd. The closer he abides in communion with Jesus, the clearer will be his sense of direction for the people. The nearer he walks in fellowship with the Lord, the more he will reflect Christ to the local congregation and community where he serves.

Paul indicates two gifts needful for us to seek in prayer—the wisdom and revelation given to us by the Holy Spirit. Now, these spiritual insights are available to all believers for each has God’s Spirit indwelling them. Yet, our focus in this devotional is that wisdom and revelation are indispensable for Christ’s appointed  shepherds.

We seek PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF GOD’S WORD. That is the Spirit of wisdom. As shepherds it is vital to immerse ourselves in God’s Word, that we may clearly hear the Shepherd’s voice. We are taught by His Spirit what the inspired text means. But, that is only part of what we must share with the flock. We are not only to show them what the verses mean, but tell them what they are to do about it. There is too much “ought to” preaching and not enough,“how to” preaching. Ponder the Proverbs—see how wisdom is applied in every dimension of life. Let us help the flock to gain such wisdom.  What they are fed on Sunday is so they will be led on Monday!

Further, we seek SCRIPTURAL DIRECTION IN GOD’S WILL. This is the Spirit of revelation. Here we must exercise some caution based on context. At the time Paul wrote this, the canon of Scripture had not been completed. Believers had the Old Testament writing, but the compilation of New Testament texts was in formation. This epistle would be part of that. God spoke directly and authoritatively to the Apostles and also through prophets in local churches. Now, since the final and full revelation of Scripture has been given, the way we hear from God is from the text. When the Scriptures speak, God speaks.  

However, the specific indication for a decision requires Scriptural  illumination. A host of issues are vital to a church moving forward in the will of God. So we pray about the choice of leaders, the building of a structure, the priorities of a budget, the addition of ministries, and a myriad of other matters.  There is no specific text for most of these decisions.  Yet, if our minds are grounded in God’s Word, the Spirit can guide us in God’s will. 

As the visible shepherd of a local flock, let us walk so closely with our Good and Great Shepherd that we will lead His sheep into green pastures to feed in and beside deep waters to drink from—as those who will give account for their care.