Sixteenth Mountain Peak
"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young" Isaiah 40:11.
THE SHEPHERD will stay with his flock night and day. Sometimes he is away from his family for many months. As a matter of fact he loves his sheep more than his family. It is not like those who look after buffaloes or cows or other animals. Such animals can be kept in stables, but not sheep. They need looking after, night and day. Because shepherds have many sheep and because they have no place to keep them, they put them all together at night-time and birth of the Lord Jesus Christ at Bethlehem many shepherds were watching their flocks outside at night. when the angel appeared to them. The shepherd leads the sheep to different pastures. Just as we want different food for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner, so the sheep want different food at different times. The Lord Jesus Christ says: "I will be like a shepherd watching over you day and night." He is a loving Saviour, and watches over us to protect us from enemies and dangers, whether seen or unseen. Many can testify, how they have been saved from earthquake, flood and other dangers.
Every morning the shepherd lakes his sheep out to different pastures. The sheep will not eat dirty or dry tough grass It wants tender, green grass. Psa. 23. Shepherds lead their sheep to good pastures, where there is nice tender green grass, and go to different places in the morning, afternoon and the evening.
Again, the sheep requires clean water. They will not drink dirty water like pigs do. The Lord Jesus Christ knows exactly what kind of food we need to satisfy our hunger and thirst. His words are our pasture. Every morning He gives us His Word, at midday and in the evening. In the morning we are given the heavenly plan for the day. In the afternoon we are given strength for the remaining part of the day. In the evening we are searched by God before we go to bed. Thus we get refreshed every day and are protected from every danger seen and unseen. He is our loving and faithful Shepherd, and is with us all the time. Sheep have the gift of recognizing the voice of the Shepherd. Even though they are so stupid in many ways, yet they can recognise the voice of their own master. Sometimes when many flocks are brought together and the shepherds take turns in watching the flocks by night, in the morning the first shepherd whistles to his sheep. He may use a whistle of silver or any metal, or he may use two fingers in his mouth, but when he whistles only his own sheep will come out and gather together; then the second shepherd and the third shepherd begin to whistle. The sheep will never go to another shepherd, for they know the voice of their own. Sometimes there may come a strange shepherd and whistle, but the sheep will not follow him. The Lord Jesus Christ says "they will not follow strangers", because their ears are sensitive to the voice of their own master. It is our privilege to hear the voice of God. Even though we may not know subjects like history, geography or science we can recognise the voice of God. It is the privilege of a believer to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him. Wherever He goes we should follow without question. We should follow our Lord Jesus Christ with perfect confidence for we know we are perfectly safe in Him and we need not worry about dangers of any kind. One of the high mountain peaks is to hear the Voice of the Shepherd every day and follow Him, fully trusting Him. Isaiah 40:29, 31. Upon the earth we may have to face many trials and hardships and many sufferings. There will be times when we will be discouraged but the promise is that He will give power to face it, vs. 29, 30. Young people who depend upon their own strength are sure to fall, but those who wait upon the Lord will get new strength v.
31. They shall mount up with wings like the eagles. Their very trials will become a. means of flying high just as young eagles are taught to fly high because the mother eagle breaks the nests, and shakes out the young ones over the cliff-edge. If they are allowed to remain comfortable in their nest they would be like sparrows that cannot fly high.
So. for a believer every trial is the means of learning to fly high, and of seeing things from a higher plane. "They shall run and not be weary" means that in every situation we are given strength and grace to continue.