There is a story in the Old Testament about Moses praying to the Lord concerning his successor in leading the children of Israel. This person, who ended up being Joshua, would finish the journey of leading them into the promised land. Moses prayed about this because of his love and concern for the people of which he had led for over 40 years. He had a shepherd’s heart.

 Look what he prayed in Numbers 27:16-17: “May the Lord, the God who gives breath o all living things, appoint someone over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

Moses is a type of Jesus Christ who identified Himself as one having a shepherd’s heart. In John 10:11, Jesus made this bold statement, “I am the good shepherd”, and He went on to prove it through His actions as He went on to say, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”.

Any sheep farmer would know that sheep without a shepherd will tend to wonder off, which can lead to that sheep’s destruction. The truth is that we all are born as sheep needing a shepherd. Isaiah 53:6 reminds us of this truth as it states, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way...”

The good news is that Jesus wants to be our shepherd, because of His concern and love for us. We have to confess our weakness and sin and then be willing for Him to be our shepherd.