双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：3月28日 主是良牧

3月28日

主是良牧

“他必像牧人牧养自己的羊群，用膀臂聚集羊羔抱在怀中，慢慢引导那乳养小羊的。”

以赛亚书40:11

把神比喻成牧人的美好画面，在旧约圣经中多次出现。诗篇中的一篇开头是这样写的，“领约瑟如领羊群之以色列的牧者啊，求你留心听！”（诗篇80:1）何等奇妙！永活的神、全能的创造者，屈尊成为祂百姓的牧者！

大卫在著名的诗篇23中表达了他和耶和华神之间的亲密关系。他欣喜地说：“耶和华是我的牧者，我必不至缺乏。”接下来，他告诉我们，我们必不至缺乏。他谈到牧者带领我们来到青草地上，引导我们走义路。我们即便在死荫的幽谷，祂也与我们同在；大卫最后见证说耶和华“使我的福杯满溢。”这就是神无穷无尽的祝福。

以赛亚又进一步描绘了这幅画面，他说：“他必像牧人牧养自己的羊群，用膀臂聚集羊羔抱在怀中，慢慢引导那乳养小羊的。”这里显示了神以祂温柔的慈爱一路扶持祂的子民以及神以祂那深切的眷顾拥抱他们。

在新约中，耶稣用了同样的比喻，将自己比作牧人。他说：“我是好牧人；好牧人为羊舍命。若是雇工，不是牧人，羊也不是他自己的，他看见狼来，就撇下羊逃走；狼抓住羊，赶散了羊群。雇工逃走，因他是雇工，并不顾念羊。我是好牧人；我认识我的羊，我的羊也认识我，”（约翰福音10:11-14）

关于耶稣是好牧人，请注意四点：耶稣拥有羊，羊属于他；他保护羊，危险临到时他绝不丢弃他们；他认识羊，知道每只羊的名字，并把他们领出来；他甚至为羊舍命，这就是他的大爱。

耶稣就像一位真正的牧羊人，我们没有理由不跟随他。

今日祷告：

天父，祢是大牧者，您的儿子也是大牧者。我们因你而喜乐，因为你以温柔和怜悯引导我们。我们感谢你！为着你的荣耀，求你让世人知道你的慈爱；奉耶稣的名，阿门。

March 28

GOD IS OUR SHEPHERD

He tends his flock like a shepherd:He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart;he gently leads those that have young.Isaiah 40:11 NIV

The wonderful picture of God as our Shepherd is found in many places in the Old Testament.One of the Psalms begins,“Hear us,O Shepherd of Israel,you who lead Joseph like a lock”(Psalm 80:1 NIV).It’s wonderful to know that the everlasting God,the almighty Creator,stoops to be the Shepherd of His people.

David makes the relationship a personal one in the best known of all psalms.“The Lord is my shepherd,”he cries exultantly,“I shall lack nothing”(Psalm 23:1 NIV,italics mine).The rest of the psalm tells us what we shall not lack.It speaks of the Shepherd’s provision as He leads us to the green pastures,His guidance along the paths of righteousness(that means the right paths),His presence with us in the dark valley.No wonder David testifies,“My cup overflows”(verse 5).Such are God’s boundless blessings.

Isaiah adds a further dimension to the picture when he says,“He tends his flock like a shepherd:He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart”(Isaiah 40:11 NIV).The figure here indicates the tender care with which the Lord supports His people on their journey and the strong love with which He enfolds them.

In the New Testament Jesus uses this same figure and applies it to Himself.He says,“I am the good shepherd.The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep and runs away.Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it…I am the good shepherd;I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”(John 10:11-14 NIV).

Note four things about Jesus the Good Shepherd.He owns the sheep:They belong to Him.He guards the sheep:He never abandons them when danger is near.He knows the sheep;knows them each by name and leads them out(see verse 3).And he lays down His life for the sheep;such is the measure of His love.

No wonder,just as a shepherd of real sheep,Jesus is worthy of being followed.

Pray for the Day:

Father,You are the Great Shepherd,and Your Son is the Great Shepherd as well.And in You we rejoice,because You lead us with tenderness and compassion.We thank You and we pray that You will make that compassion known in the world,for Your glory;in Jesus’Name,Amen.