“Do you love me?…Feed my sheep.” John 21
After the disappointment, humiliation and desperation of recent days, Peter is thrilled to be sitting with his precious Jesus. With the early morning sun glinting off the waves and the aroma of grilled fish filling the seaside air, Peter is ready to once and for all declare his love for the Master.
Fulfilling Jesus’ command to feed His sheep as proof of Peter’s love seems at first glance like an easy obedience: do what I’ve trained you to do. But the ministry of feeding lambs and sheep is a lot like feeding babies and toddlers. They turn up their noses at healthy strained carrots. Stewed spinach is spit out over the high chair tray with force and velocity. And sprayed egg yolk leaves irremovable stains. Peter—and all involved in the feeding ministry—soon discover that sheep do not always gobble down what we offer.
But we stay faithful to the task whether it is teaching pre-schoolers in Sunday School, weary people in the pew, or children in our families. The promise God gave to His people hundreds of years ago remains true: my word that goes out from my mouth…will not return to me empty, ?but will accomplish what I desire? and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11). And so we keep feeding those sheep.
Lord, I admit that feeding your sheep is often discouraging and disheartening. Help me look on the sheep you’ve placed in my life with your eyes.
Name three people—three “sheep”—God has specifically placed in your life. List a few of their “difficult” circumstances, then imagine how Jesus would approach and live with them.
By Marilyn Ehle
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