Latest / Arise Women of God / The Good Shepherd: Finding Hope on Life’s Detours

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The Good Shepherd: Finding Hope on Life’s Detours · Arise Women of God

• 0:00
  Do you feel like you're in a good spot in your life or do you feel like life is giving you a detour?
• 0:06
  Well, stay tuned because we're going to talk about one of the names of the Savior that invites us to trust him on our life's journey.
• 0:15
  Welcome to Bible Women in Bathrobes, the podcast where faith meets comfort.
• 0:22
  Join us Tuesday morning as the gals from Women warriors of Light and their guests will don bathrobes and dive into the inspiring stories of women in the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
• 0:34
  From Esther's bravery to the Sermon on.
• 0:37
  The Mount, we explore it all with.
• 0:39
  Warmth, laughter, sisterhood and maybe even a few sleepy eyed moments.
• 0:45
  Tune in live or at your leisure as we learn lessons from Scripture which empower women today.
• 0:57
  Welcome to Bible Women and Bathrobes.
• 0:59
  We are so excited today to talk about one of the names of Jesus that is personally significant to to many of us.
• 1:07
  And that is the name of Good Shepherd.
• 1:10
  I'm your host Tiffany Fletcher and we are here today with Tamara K.
• 1:14
  Anderson, our founder.
• 1:16
  Welcome Tamara.
• 1:17
  So happy to be here.
• 1:19
  And Amy Johnson, one of our amazing board members.
• 1:23
  Good morning.
• 1:25
  We are talking about Jesus, how he is our good shepherd.
• 1:28
  And a few weeks ago we talked about how he was a lamb which made it so that he was in a submissive role.
• 1:35
  And if you haven't listened to that podcast, I invite you to go back and listen to it.
• 1:39
  But today we're going to talk about how he is the shepherd and this is going to be a little bit, a little bit different.
• 1:46
  No longer in the submissive role.
• 1:47
  So let's get right to it.
• 1:50
  Tamara, as you you were studying this topic for this podcast.
• 1:54
  What is a scripture that significantly stood out for you?
• 1:58
  Oh my goodness.
• 2:00
  I think one of the ones that I really just sunk into was Psalm 23 and this is one of the most often quoted psalms.
• 2:10
  But I started seeing things in there of his role as shepherd that perhaps I hadn't seen in that light.
• 2:18
  And so it I will read a couple verses.
• 2:21
  It's this is a psalm of David and he says, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
• 2:29
  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
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  He leadeth me beside the still waters.
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  He restoreth my soul.
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  He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
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  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.
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  Thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
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  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of Mine enemies, Thou anointest my head with oil, My cup runneth over.
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  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
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  And I love this.
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  I love that.
• 3:14
  David wrote this psalm because his life did not look like he probably anticipated.
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  As a young shepherd boy, he related to Jesus as a shepherd.
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  He knew what it was like to care for a flock.
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  He had defended that flock against the attacks of bears and lions and.
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  And that helped him build his confidence that God could help him do hard things.
• 3:41
  But I think David understood Jesus's role as good shepherd probably better than most.
• 3:49
  But what I really love here is that he talks about Jesus being a shepherd to him when he's in green pastures and still waters.
• 4:05
  But he also talks about Jesus being with him when he's walking through hard times, the valley of the shadow of death, in times of evil.
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  That God, that Jesus has a rod and a staff, and him having those as protective tools or maybe even gathering tools.
• 4:27
  If a sheep is straying too far, he can kind of hook him and bring him back.
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  That they.
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  That is a comfort to him to know that the shepherd is watching him, whether it's in good times or bad.
• 4:40
  And he will keep him protected, gather him when he needs help, that he leads us in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
• 4:54
  So he is trying to get us to where we'll ultimately go, like in the final verses, where we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
• 5:04
  That's our ultimate goal.
• 5:06
  But that path of righteousness is not always by still waters and green pastures.
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  And I think that was a good reminder to me that, hey, he's going to walk with me no matter what crazy detour my life takes.
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  And it has taken some doozies that Jesus is with me.
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  And that's where I started on this.
• 5:33
  This beautiful journey of studying for this.
• 5:35
  Oh, that's so good.
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  Thank you for sharing that.
• 5:39
  I.
• 5:39
  I love how you talked about the tools too.
• 5:42
  And, and I think it's interesting that sometimes in our journey we don't realize that the Savior has the tools that we need to help get us to help us along our journey.
• 5:51
  Right.
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  Like, if you like the rod he used to beat away the enemy.
• 5:55
  Right.
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  So, I mean, he has the tools to help us overcome the enemy in our life.
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  And you're right that that staff was a hook.
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  It was to gather the she to help pull them out when they fell, fell down and they couldn't get out themselves.
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  It was to help put that around their neck and lift them back to safety.
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  And these tools are ours, too.
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  He has the tools that we need in order to walk through our shadow valley of the shadow of death.
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  And even in our still waters, he has the tools to help us get to the next field of pasture where.
• 6:29
  Where he needs us to be.
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  So, so good.
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  Thank you, Amy.
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  What do you have any thoughts on this story or.
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  Or maybe another scripture that really impacted you?
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  Sometimes I think we have the tools too, that we were given, but that Jesus Christ helps us access them because we are children of God.
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  I think it's like when we look at our own children.
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  I have these children, and they have traits from me, and they have traits from their dad.
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  And sometimes as we go through this journey, I see those traits come out, and I think some of them are great, some of them are not so great.
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  But I think as sometimes we don't give our divinity enough credit.
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  And when we turn to Jesus, he helps us access the tools.
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  He already.
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  The traits that are already in me.
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  There are days that I don't do very well accessing the love that I was born with.
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  I'm just kind of one of those people.
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  I was just born to love everyone.
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  And some days when I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm stressed, I've got.
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  I'm overwhelmed.
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  I.
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  I don't necessarily do that good of a job accessing that love, but as soon as I get down on my knees and ask for help, all of a sudden my bandwidth is increased, so to speak, and I can
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  now access the tools that he already gave me because of who I am.
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  And that is his.
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  I am his child.
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  I was born to be like Him.
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  And so I love the thought of the tools.
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  I do.
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  I love the thought of the valley, of the shadow of death.
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  Because when Adam and Eve fell from grace, they fell from God's light.
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  And so it created this shadow that had never really existed for them before.
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  And so that's what we do down here, mortality.
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  We're walking through this valley of shadow and death.
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  That's mortality.
• 8:44
  And I believe that that next line, I will fear no evil again, speaks to our divinity.
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  He's given us all the tools to combat the adversary.
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  But we get to make a choice whether we get down on our knees, access his power and fight the enemy, whether we have the courage to fear no evil.
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  I love that.
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  That's powerful, the courage to fear no evil.
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  And I love how prayer, it really is.
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  I mean, it's the greatest tool he's given us because through that, we can fight the battle on our knees, and we can get up, and we can use the tools that he's given us and the power that he's
• 9:34
  endowed us with to be able to go out there and face the enemy and win and face whatever comes and.
• 9:41
  And win.
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  That is such a beautiful, beautiful way of looking at it.
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  And I love how you said, when they fell from grace, that's when they fell from light and that shadow was cast.
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  That is a beautiful image.
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  I love light.
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  And so that is a beautiful image for me to consider is that that is true, that this.
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  This life is both light and dark.
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  And God the Lord walks with us through it all if.
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  If we choose to access him and his power.
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  So, thank you so much.
• 10:12
  Tamara.
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  Do you have any thoughts that you'd like to share to wrap up this story?
• 10:20
  You know, I think my mind is going probably to another parable that I think ties in to all of that, if you're okay that I share it.
• 10:30
  It's the parable of the lost sheep in Luke chapter 15.
• 10:35
  And of course, this is a beautiful story of.
• 10:39
  Of J.
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  Sharing what man of you having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the 90 and 9 in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it.
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  And when he had found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
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  And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.
• 11:05
  And then he says, I say unto you that likewise, joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over 90 and nine just persons which need no repentance.
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  And what I love about this story, this parable, is that Jesus loves all his sheep.
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  And sometimes we are the 90 and 9, and sometimes we're the 1.
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  And it doesn't matter how far we have strayed, he still loves us.
• 11:39
  And that, I am the good shepherd, is on us, and he is ready to come and find us and gather us.
• 11:48
  And I think that's especially comforting to those of us who have loved ones who perhaps are wandering and are lost, or perhaps we feel like we are wandering and lost.
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  And I think one of the biggest lies the adversary throws at us at that point is that we've done too many things that are wrong.
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  We are not redeemable.
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  You may as well just give up hope now.
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  Give in to that darkness and that shadow.
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  And when you're in that spot, it's easy to believe that, that God has given up.
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  And I, I can't even call to him.
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  I am so lost.
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  And I just love this image of Jesus coming at that point and gathering us and putting us on his shoulders with joy.
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  With joy.
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  And bringing us back and saying, look who I found.
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  I'm so excited.
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  They need us.
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  We're here.
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  And rejoice with me.
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  And to me, oh, that shocks so much of Jesus's love and mercy.
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  And, oh, my heart just rejoices in that image.
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  No, I love that.
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  That's beautiful.
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  I.
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  It made me think.
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  I had a friend once who said that she didn't.
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  She didn't pray to Heavenly Father because she felt that he had so many other children that he had to worry about, that he didn't need to worry about her and that she.
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  That she could handle it.
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  And I, and I, you know, as I talked with her, I, you know, I helped her understand that, no, you are God's child and he loves you and he wants to carry you.
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  And, and, you know, she didn't want to place her burdens on him and burden him more.
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  But I love that he carries us with joy.
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  Like each one of us, no matter who we are, he carries us.
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  He carries our burdens with joy.
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  It is joyful for him to walk with us.
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  It is joyful for Heavenly Father to hear from us.
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  It is joyful for him to carry us in our trial and to bring us back into the fold.
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  And.
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  And I love that.
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  That's so beautiful.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you for bringing that one up.
• 14:01
  Beautiful story.
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  Amy, do you have any thoughts to go along with this story or any other scripture you want to share?
• 14:08
  Probably the most.
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  One of the most godlike things my mom ever said to me one day.
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  Was, we're going to take a quick break, but when we get back, we'll have more lessons, tips, and things you.
• 14:19
  Can apply to your life.
• 14:21
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• 15:27
  And now back to our program.
• 15:30
  Probably the most.
• 15:32
  One of the most godlike things my mom ever said to me one day was, you're not calling me.
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  Why aren't you calling me?
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  And I was like, mom, I don't want you to worry about what I've got going on over here.
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  And I.
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  There was a lot.
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  And she just looked at me, she said, if you don't call, I worry more.
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  And I was like, well, but there's a lot.
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  And she's like, you don't have to tell me all of it.
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  I just need you to say, hey, mom, I'm here.
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  And so we actually devised this little thing that when she said, how are you?
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  Or what's going on?
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  Instead of retreating, she'd say, am, are you okay?
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  And I'd say, no, but I will be.
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  And she was like, and as long as you say that, then I'll know that I can, I can trust that you're okay, that you will be okay.
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  Because when you're in such a deep hole, sometimes that deep hole is just a little too much.
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  And the people around you worry, will she find her way out of the hole?
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  I believe that being a parent and being a child follow that same line of trust.
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  As a parent, I have to trust that God will find my child in that hole, even if they've been batting my hand away for years.
• 17:12
  Had an experience yesterday where I stopped at a drive through to grab a drink, a smoothie, and the young man that was helping me decided to just sit on the ledge of the edge of the counter and talk
• 17:26
  to me.
• 17:26
  While we were in the drive through and there was nobody behind me and they were making my smoothie and I don't know, he just decided to talk to me.
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  And he all of a sudden was like.
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  And I just feel really unfulfilled and I'm just not sure what direction I'm supposed to go.
• 17:42
  And I felt the spirit nudge me and say, do you believe in God?
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  And I thought, what?
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  But I did.
• 17:51
  And I asked him.
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  And then I gave him a few a little challenge and gave him my phone number and said, text me, call me if you have any questions.
• 17:59
  He's 30 years my younger and I don't know if he will, but I knew that was God putting the crook around this kid's neck and trying to pull him out of the hole that he was in, trying to
• 18:18
  pull him out of the dark place he was in.
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  I could feel that.
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  I don't know what that means.
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  And I don't know if somebody.
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  Tomorrow, today, God will send another somebody to put a little lead around his neck and say, come on, you can do it.
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  But I did feel that God had his eye on this young man.
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  And so I think it's really important that we understand and trust that he's got this.
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  Even if we screw it all up, even if.
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  Even if it was our choices that put somebody else in a dark hole, God's got this.
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  He's got a way to.
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  To pull us out of it and to help us to get further.
• 19:01
  And in John chapter 10, which I think is probably my favorite passage of Scripture, when we're talking about the good shepherd, he.
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  In verse 10 of chapter 10, he says.
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  He talks about the thief, but then he says, I am come.
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  That they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.
• 19:31
  And I believe that is also powerful imagery of light, because if you've ever seen what happens to a plant in the dark, shrinks, and it doesn't do well.
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  But as soon as light comes, it gives it a chance to open and have life more abundantly.
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  And I believe that's why he nudges us out of the dark places.
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  I love that.
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  That is so beautiful.
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  As I was thinking about what you were saying when you were talking about how you felt just impressed to talk to him and ask him if he knew about God, I thought about how Christ says that my sheep
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  know my voice.
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  And I think sometimes he invites us to be his voice for those lost sheep.
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  I think that sometimes he invites us to step up and say, this.
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  This is my sheep, and they are lost, and I need them gathered.
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  So please, share my voice, share my thoughts, share my words, so that they know who to follow and what.
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  What a powerful opportunity he gives us to help gather his sheep who are lost with him, to him.
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  And.
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  And with that light and that life that's so beautiful.
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  As you talked about the light in life, he truly is what helps us grow and strengthen.
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  And as we.
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  Like you, that.
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  That young man who knows he may not call, but.
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  But that planted a seed.
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  And that seed, as he continues, as other people continue to be God's voice in his life, it will grow and one day he will come back to the shepherd and it will be a beautiful thing.
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  And I feel like sometimes we need to do that.
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  Just plant the seeds.
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  And for me it doesn't matter if he calls me because it's not about me.
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  Right.
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  It's about the shepherd.
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  It is about the shepherd.
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  The good shepherd.
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  Thank you.
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  Tamara, do you have any thoughts?
• 21:43
  Oh, I just.
• 21:45
  I love this whole discussion.
• 21:48
  Amy brought up John, chapter 10 and I think that is a beautiful.
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  As I was reading through that in preparation for this, I think it ties together what, why he is the good shepherd.
• 22:02
  And he talks interestingly enough about in times of danger, the difference between a shepherd and a hireling.
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  You know, someone who's just there kind of watching the flock like eh, if a wolf comes, he talks about how it says in verse.
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  He says in verse 11, I am the good shepherd.
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  And the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
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  The shepherd is fully invested.
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  We are his sheep.
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  And he says, but he that is in hireling and not the shepherd whose own the sheep are not see at the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth and the wolf catches them and scattereth the sheep.
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  And so I think what.
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  One of the things that.
• 22:54
  And there's more in here, but I'm just gonna pause right there and just say one of the things that impresses me about this is we.
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  We need to remember, even as we help him gather, that we don't point them to us, we point them to the good shepherd.
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  Because we are like hirelings.
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  You know, we're going to make mistakes.
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  We might leave people at the wrong time when the wolves are approaching because of our own fears or insecurities, but he will never leave them.
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  And I think as a parent, especially as kids grow up and leave the nest, that is, that is the hope that.
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  Did I teach them enough so that when they are in a point of danger, they will turn.
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  They know who to turn to.
• 23:48
  I think it's interesting too that he.
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  He doesn't allow this sheep to get.
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  He doesn't flee and allow the sheep to get scattered because he is the source of courage to fear no evil.
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  He understands that there is nothing that they can do to him or to us really.
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  That truly they can't.
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  They can't kill us, they have no power.
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  But they can kill our courage and they can kill our love and they can kill our other Christlike qualities and characteristics.
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  And so I find it interesting that he stands firm even when we as hirelings might sometimes flee.
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  And I think it's also important to realize that kind of we are hirelings.
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  Yeah.
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  And though, Even though the image of the hireling isn't great.
• 24:42
  In this verse of Scripture, it's kind of true.
• 24:47
  It could have.
• 24:48
  I mean, I told you my first reaction when I felt the spirit nudge me yesterday was like, huh?
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  I don't even know this kid.
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  I'm getting a smoothie.
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  And he.
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  You want me to ask him if he believes in God?
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  And all of that happens in a matter of seconds, right?
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  And I could either just be like, okay, well, have a good day.
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  I could be like, and reach up and get courage from he, him who is the master of all things.
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  And, And I think that's important to realize.
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  That's why he doesn't.
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  That's why he can stand firm and have courage against evil.
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  Love that.
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  That's so beautiful.
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  I, I feel like as our shepherd, he is.
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  He is always guiding and protecting and strengthening us.
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  And if we keep our eyes on him, he will and hear his voice.
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  I think that's what's so important.
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  Like, if it's.
• 25:51
  I think people sometimes they say, christians, oh, you're just like sheep.
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  You just follow.
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  You just, you just follow, you know, whatever the crowd.
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  But if they understood what a sheep really did.
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  Like, a sheep knows the shepherd's voice, they don't just follow blindly.
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  They know the voice of their master, and that is what he is calling us.
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  To do is to hear his voice, to know him, to recognize who he is.
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  I love in John 10, in 15, John 10 14, he says, I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine.
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  Meaning his sheep know him and they follow him.
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  And, and how interesting it is that the wolf comes and scatters the sheep, because if he can get one of us alone, thinking that, that we're all by ourselves, that, that our shepherd has left us, that we are
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  not part of the fold and we're different or we don't fit in or, or any of those number of things that Satan tries to lay traps for us, we.
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  We become susceptible to those wolves, right?
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  And Satan is the, the ultimate wolf, right?
• 27:05
  And if we allow him to, to separate us from our shepherd and start listening to his voice and stop listening to our shepherd's voice, then that's when, that's when we start walking away from him.
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  That's when we start wandering and getting lost and falling in deep pits and, and, and walking away from him.
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  That's when we're separated from him, when we allow the wolf to separate us from the voice of the shepherd.
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  And I, I think how important it is for us.
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  Like in previous we've talked about the importance of casting Satan out and, and he is the wolf, like casting out that wolf and, and, and really working on hearing the voice of our shepherd and knowing that it's his
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  voice and not our own voice.
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  I think sometimes we, we forget that that voice is his and we listen to the other voices that are telling us that we're not enough.
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  And, and as we, we drown out those voices and listen to the voice of the shepherd, he will guide us into those green pastures and he will guide us through those hard times even and strengthen us as we
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  can recognize his voice in our lives.
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  Tamara and notice we have, we have a little bit more tell.
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  We're getting pretty close to the end, right?
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  And so let's talk, let's maybe wrap up.
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  What are some of your takeaways or any other thoughts that you'd like to share before we, before we end our episode today?
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  Oh, my goodness.
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  I think what has really stood out to me as we have spoken today is the image of Jesus as a good shepherd, knowing his sheep, knowing us and loving us no matter where we are, no matter what we
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  have done, that he knows us and he loves us and that we are worth saving.
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  And to me that means everything.
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  Because there are times that I do, I doubt my own worth.
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  I doubt I feel frustrated with myself that I make so many mistakes.
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  And to know that Jesus still looks at me with love and still gathers me with love, I just have to be willing to turn to him and like you said, Tiffany here and hearken to the voice of my
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  shepherd that he will.
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  Even though I may be going through shadowy times, he's there.
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  And that is comforting to me that to know that I am not alone in those deep dark shadows of life, in those pits that I'm in, that he is there with me.
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  And so I'm thankful for Jesus as the good shepherd in my life because I've learned to trust him and to follow him better.
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  I'm not perfect, but I'm thankful that he is with me no matter where I am.
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  Green pastures or deep pits.
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  He's there and he loves me.
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  That's beautiful.
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  Thank you.
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  It's beautiful.
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  Amy, your.
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  Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
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  I've been hung up on this word make sorry that happens to me sometimes.
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  He uses it in psalm and he uses it in Hebrews.
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  And in Hebrews he says, now, the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to
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  do as well.
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  And at first, I understand so well that God doesn't take away agency.
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  And so that word make, I was like.
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  And as I sat and listened and pondered, I got thinking about the other meaning of the word make, and that is create.
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  And I think my takeaway from today is that the Good shepherd created me.
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  And he creates an environment where I can walk with him, where I can come out of the darkness and into the light, where I can hear his voice, where I can be made perfect to do his will in
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  every good thing.
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  And that, to me, is why he is good and why he is my shepherd.
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  So beautiful.
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  Thank you for sharing that, Amy.
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  I.
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  I think my takeaway is that it's important that we remember that he is our shepherd.
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  And as a shepherd, he is inviting us to follow Him.
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  It's an invitation.
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  It's not something that he's forcing us to do.
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  It's an invitation.
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  And that as we listen to his voice, we will want to follow because we will know that in him is safety and peace.
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  And with him we will have all the tools that we need to traverse any path that he invites us to walk.
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  That we will have the power to fight the enemy in our lives.
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  That we will have the peace of knowing that there is someone out there who is walking with us and fighting the enemy with us, and someone who would give his life for us and did give his life for
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  us because of the love he has for us.
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  That love is so deep and so wide and so sure that we can count on it forever and that it is all joy to him and that he joyfully walks with us.
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  That just picturing him joyfully taking my burdens and walking with me helps me to feel more centered in the hard things, knowing that I have him to help carry things for me.
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  Well, I hope that you have enjoyed this episode of Bible Women and Bathrobes in learning about the Good shepherd in our lives.
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  And I hope that there is something that has been said here that has helped you feel a little more sure of the path that you're on, a little more willing to reach out and hear his voice, a little
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  more willing to pray, to know how to access the tools that he has given us, to walk the path that we have every day and a little more certain that your shepherd loves you and that he is standing
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  right by your side, walking with you through whatever stormy season you are in.
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  Sunshine or shadow.
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  Then my challenge for you is to imagine the Savior walking with you this week.
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  Imagine him as your Good Shepherd.
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  Pray to Pray to Heavenly Father and ask him how you can access his power in your life and how he he is guiding you and the tools that he's given you to move through those hard things.
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  As as Amy said, prayer is beautiful and as we use that to access our Heavenly Father, we will be able to hear the voice of the shepherd in the Good shepherd in our life.
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  So until next time, peace be with you.
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  Thanks for tuning in to Bible Women and Bathrobes hosted by Women warriors of Light.
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  We've loved exploring the stories of remarkable women or the teachings of the Savior today with you.
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  If today's episode brought someone special to mind, be sure to spread the word and don't forget to hit that subscribe button so you never miss a moment of inspiration and sisterhood.
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  Just a friendly reminder, all opinions we share are entirely personal.
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  As we are trying to decipher an opinion, apply Bible teachings just like you are.
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  Until next time, stay faithful and may your journey be blessed and illuminated by God's love.