Devotions this week based on the Message: “Hope Comes when Someone Cares”.
Rarely does someone say it.
Often they just show it.
And we can see it and feel it.
What are they communicating? They don’t care.
We all want to have someone care about us. It hurts when we feel like someone doesn’t care. It hurts even more when they show us they don’t care.
We want someone to care.
Jesus knew there would be people who didn’t care. He said this in John 10:12-13
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
The hired hand is only in it for a paycheck. When danger comes he thinks, “These sheep aren’t worth enough for me to put my life on the line for them.” Bottom line? The hired hand cares more about himself than he does about the sheep. We and everyone else wants to be cared for. Because we have that need we seek out someone who cares. But then we get burned because they were only caring long enough to get what they want.
We expect imperfect people to care for us in a perfect way. Some will come close, but now one will care like Jesus. That’s why we need the Good Shepherd. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
We’ll see this week how Jesus cares for us as the Good shepherd. But perhaps the question to start the week is this, “Who are the shepherds I am relying on to care for me?” I pray everyone of you has a special someone in your life that truly cares. But there may be someone or someone we think cares but is only setting us up to be used and disappointed. It’s these situations that Jesus reminds us that he is the Good Shepherd and he cares.
Apply: When it feels like “no one cares” remember to turn to Jesus. Perhaps this week every day read through Psalm 23.
Prayer: Jesus thank you for being my Good Shepherd and caring for me like no one else can. AMEN.