Prepare for God’s Visitation
Scripture: Jeremiah 23:1-4Devotional Series: The Good Shepherd
Teaching: The Good Shepherd pt. 2 (SUN_PM 2021-03-07) by Pastor Star R Scott
In Jeremiah 23:1, “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” He says, “Ye have scattered my flock,” verse 2, “and driven them away, and have not visited them.” There are some very interesting things that are being spoken here. That word “visit” is like the visitation of God; that visitation that is coming in the day of judgment. The great tribulation will be an hour of God’s visitation. God visits as He brings revelation through the prophets to admonish and give direction to the nation. Specifically, it means to oversee, to charge, or to command. Basically. God is saying to the priests, “You didn’t give course to my people. You didn’t prepare them for this hour. You were not faithful to your call and to your placing. I’ve told you that this hour was coming, this visitation, and there was no preparation for the people of God. Each one was allowed to be destroyed and scattered.”
So, He says in verse 4, “I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord.” The shepherd is preparing the flock. We saw in Ephesians that shepherds are perfecting us, causing us to come to maturity. Here in this passage in Jeremiah the people are not to fear any longer. The fear that was coming upon the people was from looking at the vastness of the nations that were opposing God. They were so fearful, so overcome by these enemies that had surrounded them. This good shepherd is telling them, “If you’ll repent, God is going to be for us, not against us. You don’t have to be afraid. He is a God of mercy; He will restore us back to Himself. Don’t be dismayed.”
That’s a very interesting word. It means to be broken or to be cast down, to be discouraged. Isn’t it so refreshing when we’re able to come together, and the Holy Spirit will speak to us through His Word and encourage us and remind is, “If God’s for us, nobody can be against us. There’s no weapon formed against us that will prosper. I’ll keep that which you’ve committed unto Me against that day.” Hallelujah! No man can pluck you out of My hand. The shepherd continues to remind us of our victory in Jesus, that we are invincible and the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. And, there will be no more lack for the Lord is our Shepherd; we shall not want.
In Acts, Chapter 20, verse 28 it says, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Set a scriptural course for the flock. “There are going to be those that are going to come in among you, even of yourselves,” He says, “and draw away disciples to themselves. Prepare people for this hour.” This fellowship is not immune. We will have more defectors. We will have false teachers that are going to rise up. We’ve got to come to that place of sobriety. Dear God, let us have that spirit that says, “Lord, is it me?” Not “though all forsake you, I’ll never forsake you.” Take heed when you think you stand. If Paul said, “Lest having preached to others, I’m concerned of being cast away,” we should be concerned that we might not finish this course. Let’s not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. Oh, you are absolutely secure in Jesus; but let’s make sure that we stand under the mandate, “If you love me, keep my commandments, and they won’t be grievous to you.”
So, He says in verse 4, “I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord.” The shepherd is preparing the flock. We saw in Ephesians that shepherds are perfecting us, causing us to come to maturity. Here in this passage in Jeremiah the people are not to fear any longer. The fear that was coming upon the people was from looking at the vastness of the nations that were opposing God. They were so fearful, so overcome by these enemies that had surrounded them. This good shepherd is telling them, “If you’ll repent, God is going to be for us, not against us. You don’t have to be afraid. He is a God of mercy; He will restore us back to Himself. Don’t be dismayed.”
That’s a very interesting word. It means to be broken or to be cast down, to be discouraged. Isn’t it so refreshing when we’re able to come together, and the Holy Spirit will speak to us through His Word and encourage us and remind is, “If God’s for us, nobody can be against us. There’s no weapon formed against us that will prosper. I’ll keep that which you’ve committed unto Me against that day.” Hallelujah! No man can pluck you out of My hand. The shepherd continues to remind us of our victory in Jesus, that we are invincible and the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. And, there will be no more lack for the Lord is our Shepherd; we shall not want.
In Acts, Chapter 20, verse 28 it says, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Set a scriptural course for the flock. “There are going to be those that are going to come in among you, even of yourselves,” He says, “and draw away disciples to themselves. Prepare people for this hour.” This fellowship is not immune. We will have more defectors. We will have false teachers that are going to rise up. We’ve got to come to that place of sobriety. Dear God, let us have that spirit that says, “Lord, is it me?” Not “though all forsake you, I’ll never forsake you.” Take heed when you think you stand. If Paul said, “Lest having preached to others, I’m concerned of being cast away,” we should be concerned that we might not finish this course. Let’s not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. Oh, you are absolutely secure in Jesus; but let’s make sure that we stand under the mandate, “If you love me, keep my commandments, and they won’t be grievous to you.”