Devos – Ed Taylor

Ezekiel 34

·         We have the privilege of serving Jesus by reaching out to a lost, hurt, broken generation.

·         If there’s an emphasis we need to have in our ministry – it must be the grace of God.

o   God’s undying grace.

o   The problem is, we sometimes allow the position, pressures, and people to get to our heads.

o   We are mere servants, and we are created to do His pleasure.

·         Ed (and, by the way, I) hate the “joke,” the ministry would be so great if it wasn’t for the people.

o   We really love the ministry because of Jesus and the people He’s given us to serve.

·         Here in Eze. 34, God says, “If you don’t want to rightly shepherd My people, fine; I’ll find someone else.”

·         Shepherds are given to feed the flock, not themselves.

o   God’s heart is for His flock.

·         There’s several things here that we need to regularly review in our lives:

o   Selfishness

o   Used people

o   Took the best for themselves

o   Began to ignore needs

o   Closed their eyes to the hurting

·         We cannot see people as problems – we see them as precious sheep.

·         Don’t close your eyes to the hurting, don’t fail to pay attention to them and their hurts.

·         There are shepherds that God gives – and there are shepherds that God takes away.

o   I want to be one of those whom He gives.

·         If I want the sheep I get to shepherd  to be the best loved, best fed sheep in my area, that begins with me – with my faithful relationship with the Lord.

·         Things get tough – but the Word of the Lord stands forever.

o   Two things will be eternal:

§  The Word of God

§  The souls of men