Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

5 September 2024

Reading From Ezekiel 32-34

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.” —Ezekiel 34:11-13

God loves all of His children enough to rescue them no matter how far they’ve strayed from His path. No one sets out to lose themselves intentionally. At times we chase after satisfaction in all the wrong places. When we realize it’s a fruitless endeavor, we’re in too deep and we need the Good Shepard to come and pull us out.

When the Lord rescues us, He doesn’t just leave us on our own to figure it out. He washes us and provides us with good pasture to graze and be refreshed. How wonderful it is to be the sheep of His pasture. He takes such excellent care of His own.

This prophetic message has a triple fulfillment. Yahweh brought His people back from exile in the ancient world, the Jews began to gather in Israel from all over the modern world in 1948, and when Jesus returns He will gather His own from every tribe, tongue and nation in the New Jerusalem, His Bride the Church Universal.

“Lord Jesus, I am grateful for Your tender care. You not only show Your love for us with life-giving words, You put action to Your promises. We can depend upon You to defend us and provide for our every need. Great is Your faithfulness, O God our Father.”

What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. —Matthew 18:12-13