"Have no fear, little flock; have no fear, little flock, For the Father has chosen to give you the Kingdom; Have no fear, little flock!

"Have good cheer, little flock; have good cheer, little flock, For the Father will keep you in His love forever; Have good cheer, little flock!"

Have no fear ... have good cheer. We may not be very familiar with sheep or kingdoms, but we can make a good guess about the things that sheep fear and about the things that make sheep feel cheerful. Wolves and other predators are an ever-present danger. Perhaps, if they could think about such things, sheep might fear becoming lost.

We also have a good idea of the things that bring good cheer to a little flock. Psalm 23 tells us about sheep who have everything they need. Sheep must have green pasture and water to drink. They need a shepherd to care for them and protect them from those fearsome predators. The flock needs a safe place to settle down for the night, securely fenced within the shepherd's fold.

Jesus is our Shepherd. We are His little flock and we know all too well the things that we fear, including war, natural disasters, illness, and death. Our foe Satan, the evil predator, is an ever-present threat. Yet we receive from our Shepherd's generous hand so much that brings us good cheer. Jesus feeds us with His Word and restores our souls with His forgiveness as we receive His body and blood in Holy Communion. We are refreshed with the living water of the Holy Spirit. When we wander into sin, our Shepherd calls us to repentance and forgives us.

We have all of these gifts because of the death and resurrection of our Good Shepherd. By God's grace through faith in Jesus, we have received a Kingdom. Lost in sin, we once lived in a different realm, the evil domain of that predator Satan. The Father sent His Son, our Shepherd, to save us. God "delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:13-14).

Could there be happier sheep anywhere? We have the nourishment of God's Word and we are refreshed with the living water of the Spirit. That predator Satan has fallen in defeat, and we are washed clean from sin in the blood of our Shepherd. One day we will hear our Shepherd-King say to us, "Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34b). Through the steadfast love of our Shepherd, the Kingdom is ours forever. Have no fear! Have good cheer!

WE PRAY: Jesus, my Shepherd, keep me in Your care, now and forever. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "Have No Fear, Little Flock," which is number 735 in the Lutheran Service Book.

Reflection Questions:

1. What does it say about God that He wants us to be in His kingdom?

2. Name some ways that Satan works to keep us outside of God's kingdom.

3. Do you know others who could use the Good News of our Good Shepherd?

Today's Bible Readings: Judges 19-21    Luke 16

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