Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

November 22– Morning

 by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“Jacob served (Laban) for a wife, and he kept sheep for her.” 

—Hosea 12:12

After Jacob had worked hard for Laban and decided to go on his own way, he told Laban, “For twenty years have I been with you. Every sheep that was injured by wild animals I didn’t bring to you but, rather, I bore the loss myself— whether it happened by day or by night. When the drought came to my flock and when the frost came by night, I protected my flocks; I was unable to sleep.”

But even more difficult than Jacob’s work for his sheep was the life of our Savior, Jesus Christ, for us. He watched over all his sheep until he gave his last account to God the Father, “Of all those you have given me, I have lost none.” His hair was wet with dew, and he couldn’t sleep, for all night he was in prayer wrestling for his people. One night Peter must be pleaded for, and the next requires his tearful intercession for another.

No shepherd sitting beneath the cold skies looking up to the stars could ever complain about the difficulty of his work as Jesus Christ could have done, but he freely chose to work in order to secure his bride, the Church. Just as Laban required Jacob to pay personally for all the sheep he lost, wasn’t Jesus obligated to bring every believing lamb safely to the hand of the One who had committed them to his charge?

Look at hard-working Jacob and you will see a representation of Jesus who “will feed his flock like a shepherd.” [M&E]