Day 5
Scripture: Ezekiel 34:11-16
“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. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.“
Story from the Blue Seats:
I love my dog. And I mean *really* love my dog. As I write these words he is tucked in next to me with a blanket, a pillow, and his arm around a stuffed animal.
Just two years ago when my dog was born in Texas he was abandoned along with the rest of his litter. Through a series of events and a couple failed adoptions, a local rescue found him and he made his way to live with me at the age of 5 months.
In exchange for unconditional love and companionship from him, I provide his every need: food, treats (both regular and special of course), walks, car rides, play dates, cuddles, monthly Barkbox deliveries because who doesn’t love fun mail, vet visits for preventative care, I mean I could go on and on. (And where he is concerned, I usually do.) My dog wants for nothing. And yet I keep giving him things because I am obsessed with him.
How humbling to know we serve a God who loves us like that. Except He does it even better. Not only did He rescue us when we needed it the most but He meets our every need every single day. And then some. And because He is crazy about us He offers us companionship and unconditional love too. And we haven’t done a thing to earn or deserve it. We are basically all blessed pups who found our way home. I can’t think of a better reason to celebrate this Christmas season.
