God Our Rescuer

Hi, and thanks for joining us for today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading, titled God, Our Rescuer, was written by Patricia Rabin. In the open sea, a rescuer positioned her kayak to assist panicked swimmers competing in a triathlon. Don't grab the middle of the boat, she called to swimmers, knowing such a move would capsize her craft. Instead, she directed weary swimmers to the bow, or front, of the kayak.

There they could grab a loop, allowing the safety kayaker to help rescue them. Whenever life or people threaten to pull us under, as believers in Jesus, we know we have a rescuer. In Ezekiel chapter 34 we find these words, For this is what the sovereign Lord says, I Myself will search for My sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered. This was the prophet Ezekiel's assurance to God's people when they were in exile. Their leaders had neglected and exploited them, plundering their lives and caring for themselves rather than for God's flock.

As a result, the people were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them. But I will rescue my flock, declared the Lord, and His promise still holds. What do we need to do? Hold fast to Almighty God and His promises. I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them, He says.

That's a saving promise worth holding tightly. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Ezekiel 34 verses 5 through 12. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.

They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because My flock lacks a shepherd, and so has been plundered, and has become food for all the wild animals. And because My shepherds did not search for My flock, but cared for themselves rather than for My flock, Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord.

This is what the Sovereign Lord says. I am against the shepherds, and will hold them accountable for My flock. I will remove them from tending the flock, so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue My flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them. For this is what the Sovereign Lord says. I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after My sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. Let's pray. Father God, sometimes, even as your children, your followers, we take our eyes off of you and become fearful. Please encourage us to turn our eyes from the fearful things that are before us and look to you for peace and comfort, knowing that you are our rescuer. It's in Jesus' name we give you thanks. Amen.