Devotionals

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THE LORD OUR SHEARER
“For you were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (I Peter 2:25).

When our Lord comes to us as a shepherd, runs towards us and snatches us out of the mouth of the monster called sin, we catch a glimpse of a loving father. Thus, He carries us upon His shoulder, and takes us back into the fold. As a result of our long wandering in the wilderness, the hair all over us has become overgrown. But we see nothing wrong with the overgrown hair, since we pulled through the tough weather with it when we were out there. But the Shepherd knows better.

Having been brought back home, the sheep must be made completely whole by the Lord their Shepherd. Then, He draws His shearing blade. At the sight of the blade, we do become confused, as we are very fast to catch another glimpse, that of a wicked Lord at this time.

Is it not of our own good that we are sheared by our Shepherd? The shearing is not to kill us, but to pull off of us the dirt we have gathered to our own condemnation in our wilderness wandering. The overgrown hair has marred our image, and in no way do our wanderers look like our Lord. The process of shearing is that of the restoration of the image and likeness of God, which we have lost to the world of sin and death. It is the process of healing our soul of the wounds of sin within.

“…You shall do no work with the firstborn of your bullock, nor shear the firstborn of your sheep" (Deuteronomy 15:19).

When we are sheared, we will then become first fruits, like the first born of the Israelites’ sheep. God commanded the Israelites not to shear the first born of their sheep, giving us a picture of the Christ Jesus the Lamb of God, who is the first born among many brethren, whose wool (hair) does not become overgrown as a result of wandering in the world of sin and death, but an indication of His overflowing holiness, which testifies that He is separate from sinners; untainted by the flesh and sin; and undefiled by the world. That is why when He got to His shearers, they could not shear Him. But rather, they killed Him because of His holiness.

When we are sheared with the sword of the Spirit, which is the living word of God, then we put on a new look (a new hair; wool); that which is like that of the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. Sheep are often sheared in the Spring (when the blessings of the new life are springing up for our waiting hearts), so that they will not get overheated in the Summer (when the battle becomes fiercer, and fiercer). The Lord is our Shepherd (Psalm 23), not only to feed us, but also to shear us, so that we die not in the battle front, when we are weighed down by the burden we bear. Let us also learn from His example, and be not offended, but rather, be dumb before our Shearer. We are coming out of it all like unto a perfect man in the measure of the stature of the fullness of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:13). Amen.

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