The Shepherd Who Cares for You

I have three observations about the people (and there are lots of them!) who we can read about in the Bible. In a span of over two thousand years, there are hundreds of people mentioned.

Observation #1: There is someone like you somewhere in the pages of Scripture. There are young and old and in between, rich and poor, male and female, folks of various nationalities. Personality types run the gamut from introvert to extrovert, passive to aggressive, stable to unpredictable. Various characters may be tempted (and sometimes consumed) by money, sex, power, drugs, or freedom. They value family, health, God, love, friendship, safety, or nation, just to name a few. Personally, I relate to Noah and Thomas, and I’m sure you can find someone you can relate to as well.

Observation #2: Every one of those people—every single one—falls short of righteousness (except Jesus, but more on that later). From the murderous to the envious to the pagan who sacrifices to false gods to the New Testament Pharisees… everyone has sinned, done wrong, and fallen short of the glory of God. None
of us has any advantage when it comes to achieving God’s standard of perfect righteousness. We have all failed God’s standard, and it’s not even close. The result of our sin is death. We call that the bad news.

Observation #3: Through Jesus Christ, God has provided the remedy, and it’s open to all. Jesus, being the only one who could live righteously, was the only one who could save us. Because God loves us, Jesus willingly died and rose again so we could be made right with God. This is VERY good news indeed. You don’t have to be a certain height, skin color, or age. There is no financial charge, no test of intelligence. Galatians 3:28 clarifies that the gospel isn’t limited to a particular group. Romans 5 elaborates on how we have all sinned, YET the righteousness of Christ is available to all who embrace the gospel. “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved†(Romans 10:9). Regardless of what you’ve done or who you are, it’s never too late. • Mike Hurley

• Have you found anyone in the Bible you can relate to? What about them resonates with you?

• If you want to know more about what it means to put your trust in Jesus, check out our “Know Jesus” page.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:23-24 (NLT)

Read Verses:

Ps.23