Bible Reading: Ezekiel 33, 34; 1 Peter 5
“And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered” – Ezekiel 34:5 (KJV)
What man can be like Jesus Christ, the great shepherd! From time immemorial, there have always been many false shepherds in the world. During the time of Ezekiel these shepherds were just milking the people that God placed under them. Unlike the Lord Jesus, who when he saw the people had compassion on them “Jesus travelled through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And wherever he went, he healed people of every sort of disease and illness. He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help. They were like sheep without shepherd” – Matthew 9:35-36 (NLT)
In the world today, we have many shepherds who specialise in enriching themselves at the expense of the struggling members who have piled up bills yet these set of gluttonous shepherds are never tired of making big demands on them. They eat the cuds, they cloth themselves with wool while the sheep are exposed most times to the cold in the wilderness. What type of shepherd are you? Under whose shepherd are you currently? Is he one who is interested in taking good care of your spiritual life or use you only for his progress and dump you? Watch out and move away from that zone! If you are a shepherd given to this kind of lifestyle, be sure that you cannot escape the judgment of God.
If you are a leader in any capacity- office, home or anywhere, then you are included. God expressly told Ezekiel to prophesy against them, “Then this message came to me from the LORD: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: Destruction is certain for you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep?” – Ezekiel 34:1-2 (NLT)
Prayer: Dear Lord, deliver me from misleading the sheep in Jesus name.
Rev. Julius Oluwole