July 31, 2025 Devo

Last week, I was speaking at a campmeeting in Pennsylvania. After one of my morning sessions, a young man came up to me and told me he was really enjoying the sessions. I thanked him. He then leaned in and quietly told me that one of my remarks that I meant to be funny probably shouldn’t have been said. He was kind, affirming, but direct. And he was spot on. I thanked him for it.
God uses other believers to help “shepherd” us on this journey. Have you discovered that? Sometimes they are people who are older and further down the road of faith. Other times, as in my case, they are younger people or simply others who can help you have a broader or more sensitive perspective. Not one of us who are the sheep of God walks this walk of faith perfectly or without flaw. So we all NEED shepherds who will lovingly, gently, but firmly guide us back to where we need to be. They are gifts of God, not enemies. And we should be thankful for them.
The problem is we often bite our shepherds. When our spouse kindly points out something we need to see, we sometimes snap at them and accuse them of always being critical. When a friend tells us that they are noticing something in our lives that needs to be addressed, we can get defensive and tell them to mind their own business. When someone who cares about us suggests a change, or an adjustment, or tempering of something we’re doing, saying, or considering, we can often blow them off as ignorant or know-it-alls.
But what if they’re not? What if these people who have the courage to say to us what many are too afraid to say aren’t critical, arrogant, or just unkind? What if they are the emissaries of God’s Grace to bring gentle correction into our lives? In those cases, we’re not just pushing back on THEM. We’re pushing back on our Good Shepherd. Please hear my heart. I’m not saying that everyone who says something critical or makes a suggestion to you is from God. But I am saying that some are. Humility and the discerning Spirit of God will help you tell the difference.
I sought out that young man who came to me during the course of the week and thanked him again. I thanked him for having the courage to say something to me that many who have just been too afraid to say. He blessed me with his words. He helped me with his counsel. As many have done for me along my path, he made me better. Though counsel, suggestions, and observations made by others aren’t always easy to hear, let me make a suggestion. Don’t bite your shepherds. Thank them. Because sometimes they are people sent by God to save you from yourself. That’s God’s Word for you today.