Wednesday, November 16 Shepherd the flock of God under your care, serving as overseers, not under compulsion, but willingly before God.​—1 Pet. 5:2.

[Áine]

Wednesday, November 16

Shepherd the flock of God under your care, serving as overseers, not under compulsion, but willingly before God.—1 Pet. 5:2.

 

A good shepherd understood that sheep may get lost. And if a sheep did wander away from the flock, the shepherd did not treat it harshly. Consider the example that God set when helping some of his servants who, for a while, strayed from Jehovah. The prophet Jonah ran away from his assignment. Even so, Jehovah did not quickly give up on Jonah. Like a good shepherd, Jehovah rescued him and helped him gain the strength he needed to fulfill his assignment. (Jonah 2:7; 3:1, 2) Later, God used a bottle-gourd plant to help Jonah understand the value of each human life. (Jonah 4:10, 11) The lesson? Elders must not quickly give up on those who become inactive. Instead, the elders try to understand what caused a sheep to stray from the flock. And when that sheep comes back to Jehovah, the elders continue to show loving interest in him. w20.06 20-21 ¶10-12