I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:4 ESV)
I watched a NASA broadcast of two astronauts working outside of the International Space Station. One of the astronauts accidentally cut his tether line.
Let me say that again… One of the astronauts accidentally CUT HIS TETHER LINE!!!!
Instantly pictures of every Sci-Fi movie with a cut tether line flashed through my mind. I knew how this was going to end. Goodbye Astronaut Behnken!
But his voice, and the voice of the other astronaut, and the voice of Mission Control remained calm. More than calm, they didn’t seem to care. And I soon figured out why.
The tether line was not the only thing that kept that astronaut safe. That line was one of many precautions. He had boot clamps. He had hand grips. He had the other astronaut, carefully positioned down the gravity stream. He had more.
Behnken was not going to be drifting anywhere.
God told Jeremiah that God’s people were protected in a similar way. He called those protections shepherds.
Yes, the shepherds are the religious leaders of Israel. But the shepherds were also the political leaders. The shepherds were also found in families. The shepherds were also neighbors’ hands. The shepherds were also helpful domesticated animals. The shepherds were also tools, traditions, and time.
Just like NASA control could have told the astronaut to relax because of the redundancies of protective backups, God tells us that He has provided similar redundancies.
He has given you shepherds. So many shepherds.
Count your shepherds. We have elders in the church, deacons in the church, friends in the church, wise people in the church, teachers in the church, listeners in the church, advisors in the church, handy folk in the church, shoulders to lean on in the church, skilled helpers in the church.
We have shepherds in our families. We have fathers, mothers, and siblings. We have homes. We have useful possessions. We have extended family members’ experience. We have the stories of Grandpa and Grandma. We have family gatherings. We have an often communal availability of family possessions.
We have shepherds that we don’t even know! Angels unseen. God’s tapestry being woven around us. Strangers with good words. “Coincidences” that help us avoid troubles. The right stuff at the right time.
Looking back, we often can see how God has given us shepherds.
So looking ahead, don’t be afraid. There will be shepherds.
Fear not, because of shepherds.