Feed My Sheep

Feed My Sheep

John 21:15-17 “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’  Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’  The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.”

The more I talk about it, the more I realise that I am one called by God to “Feed My sheep.” I asked the Lord, “Who are they, Lord – your sheep?” He did not answer directly, He simply took me back to some experiences in my life and ministry. Back in 2009 the ministry team I served with was in Amsterdam visiting a rehab facility – drugs, alcohol, tobacco, prostitution – you name it. I had a word from God for the facility about it being a “people recycling centre”. After I gave the word, I was suddenly overcome with compassion for these people. To put it bluntly, I sobbed uncontrollably for about two hours while the Lord “broke my heart for what broke His heart.”

It was preparation.

Roll forward to last year, 2012, when the Lord called my wife and I to serve on our church mission team – ministering to those hurt and wounded, bound by drugs and alcohol, society mis-fits. My eyes started to open a little more. Then earlier this year when, with a party from our church, we visited one of the charities we support – another “people recycling centre” where the bound are freed, the abused are tended, and the unlovable are loved. Once again the Lord broke my heart for what breaks His. In that meeting, once again, I simply sobbed for about half an hour just listening to the prayer and the passion of that place.

Now, tonight, on the eve of another visit to this place of God’s restitution and repair, the Lord brings me to these verses of scripture and says to me, like He did to Simon Peter, “Feed My sheep.” When I ask Him what He means by “feed”, I get the feeling He does not limit it to just food for the body – it includes food for the soul too. He means for me, for us, to be His heart, His hands, His arms, His voice and His presence to those who maybe don’t yet know Him, or maybe those who lost Him somewhere down the line.

The call of God on your life may not be as ‘dramatic’ as mine, or maybe it was or is even more dramatic. Either way, God is in one way or another calling all of us to serve Him in the way He has chosen for us. It may be something you have dreamed of all your life or it may have come as a complete shock – maybe that was why I needed to be broken so much. It doesn’t matter a jot because either you trust God’s call or you don’t. If you trust His call and His judgement, then just get on with it. If you don’t trust His call and judgement, then please get out of the way and let someone else through who will do as He asks.

Simple as that – easy as that – blunt as that. Just do it – or get out of the way.