Shepherds

While reading Paulo Coelho’s infamous novel The Alchemist I was struck by a line in his literary masterpiece that forever change my view of the way God uses shepherds. Coelho writes, “It was shepherds who were the first to recognize a king that the rest of the world refused to acknowledge. So, it’s not surprising that kings would talk to shepherds.” With Christmas this week, I am reminded of these lines and how they apply not only to the story of Christ’s birth, but also to our lives today.

A shepherd by definition is: a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. I believe we can all name at least one person who has tended to us when we were in need, one who has herded us back into the flock when we strayed away into “wolf territory”, one person who has fed us, and yet another who guarded us from the attacks of the wolf.

God has always used shepherds to symbolize obedience. David, who God considered to be a man after His own heart, was a shepherd. God used David’s life to demonstrate His ability to awaken the strength within us, His ability to empower us through leadership, and His limitless grace and mercy. Through the life of King David, God reveals that while we are sheep to Him, through obedience we can become shepherds to others.

God uses every single person on this earth for His glory whether they believe in Him or not. We are all here to be used as instruments by God and He can speak to you through your atheist co-worker, just as well as He can speak to you through your pastor. Think of all the conversations you have with both believers and non-believers. Didn’t all of those conversations grow your faith in some way shape of form? Maybe a believer reminded you of the promises of God while a non-believer challenged you to quote scripture to defend your faith.

Proof that shepherds come in just as many various forms as the sheep they tend.