Jeremiah 23
The Prophet Jeremiah describes first of all an indictment against the shepherds in Israel. They have scattered the flock rather than tending and caring for Israel. Jesus said, that anyone who does not gather with him ends up scattering the flock. The key to successful shepherding is partnering with the Lord as our chief shepherd. When we are laborers together with him we cannot help but have a gathering unto him. But if we fail to partner through our relationship with Jesus we can end up with a pretense of shepherding but fail miserably because of the disconnect. Prayer: Lord keep me connected to you in a close personal relationship so that I may labor with confidence that the end result will be able to be rewarded not discarded.
I Peter 5:1-4 tells us to feed God's flock willingly not for monetary gain but in service to Christ and his body. When we do the right things for the right reasons(motivation) then we will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
