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What does your ‘pasture’ look like?

January 3, 2025

Genesis 28:10-22 | Hebrews 11:13-22 | John 10:7-17

RENEWAL –

Christmas is the new beginning that the darkness of Advent ‘looked to’ as light and life faded. Animals safely burrow in the ground to survive the cold & darkness. We all wait for new beginnings. Celebrating the birth of Jesus allows us a new beginning to open our hearts to God’s words of hope and peace. Where is your heart today?

NATURE –

God speaks to me through nature. Maybe this rings true for you, too. As a Wildlife Rehabilitator and animal lover I am curious about the use of animals in the Bible. My research finds animals serve multiple purposes. They act as symbols to teach spiritual lessons. They represent human qualities. They appear in stories to illustrate important concepts about faith, humility, diligence, loyalty and dependence on God. Animals can lead us spiritually as they teach us about death, heighten our capacity to love and to experience joy. Animals reveal God’s sovereignty. God created animals to teach us about ourselves and about Him. Today’s reading typifies a symbolic representation of how animals are used to represent specific characteristics like the sheep ‘being’ us, the flock of God.

SHEPHERD, SHEEP, & PASTURE –

In today’s message John 10:7-17 uses sheep to teach us about our relationship with God. When the sheep obey their shepherd, their true master, they are led to green pastures. Jesus said:

“I am the good Shepherd, I lay my life down for the sheep. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.”

God’s pasture includes the places in life where we (sheep) find abundance of blessings, mercy, grace and the other things that come from God.  God’s pasture includes the church.  It includes our hearts and souls, where He places His grace. This is where we find the choice of abundance, comfort and peace. What does ‘your’ pasture look like? As Gods sheep, have we let him lead us to greener pastures? “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.  So, there will be one flock, one shepherd.” And doesn’t this have even greater meaning as we transition to find a new Shepherd of our St. Luke’s flock?

Judy Ireland