Care for the Flock!

 

Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. (Isaiah 62:1)

Isaiah had a strong passion for his people. The Lord spoke through him in a powerful way and I believe he was able to use Isaiah specifically because of his unbridled passion for his people.

Are you filled with that same passion for your family, friends, or community? Does your heart yearn for your people in such a way, you cannot remain silent? Are you praying continually for your people from sun up to sun down? 

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is:

1 Peter 5:2-4 - Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly -- not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don't lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. 

We have all been given a flock and caring for that flock can seem like a chore sometimes. We have been given a group of people to care over, to watch over, to love, to guide, and to lead. To some, it might be your family. For others that flock might also include a close group of friends, people at work, at church, or in your neighborhood. To others it might include people you are discipling and leading closer to the Lord. I can assure you God has provided you with a group of people just like Isaiah. I pray your heart is filled with the passion to pray for them continuously. 

I pray for my wife, my daughters, my grandkids, my great-grandkids, my discipleship groups, my CMA family, and my community. I love them dearly and can't keep still because my heart yearns for them. I cannot remain silent. I pray for them constantly and I can relate to Isaiah's feelings about their salvation. Please, Lord, help me to be a light for this flock of people you have assigned to me. I pray by my example they will be guided directly to you!

WHO IS A PART OF YOUR FLOCK?