For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
– 1 Peter 2:25
This powerful verse reveals four important truths:
1. We were like sheep who had gone astray.
2. We have returned home.
3. The Shepherd (Jesus) is the Overseer of our souls.
4. We have an adversary.
Unpacking this verse gives vital insight for every man! We were once lost, but now we are found. Like sheep, we open ourselves to destruction and failure when we stray from the Shepherd.
In 1 Peter, the sheep return to the Good Shepherd—the Shepherd of our souls. When we stray from our Shepherd, we walk away from the Overseer, the Protector of our souls. Jesus not only paid the price for our souls by dying on the cross, but He also became the faithful Overseer of our souls while we remain on this earth.
The challenge we face is that the enemy of Jesus and our souls seeks to strip us of our birthrights as children of God. The enemy cares nothing for us and actually desires to devour us. While Jesus paid for our lives and is the Overseer of our souls, Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Jesus, on the other hand, comes as the Good Shepherd, who paid the ultimate price.
Satan comes as the great deceiver. The Overseer of our souls tells us that on earth, we are to wait and abide in Him as foreign citizens “while He prepares our heavenly home” (John 14:3). The great deceiver wants to keep us from our heavenly destination by tempting our flesh to believe his lies and turn from God. Galatians 5:17 says our flesh wages war against our soul. Satan wants you and me to live only for what is temporary. His goal is for us to forgo eternity with Christ for the immediate gratification of our flesh. In short, he wants us to live for the moment and spend eternity with him in hell!
Men, we are either satisfying the flesh or feeding our soul. There is no third way! We are either chasing or resting. Jesus says, “Come to Me and find rest” (Matthew 11:28-30). This means we must trust Him.
Men, we can only satisfy our souls when we seek the Shepherd of our souls. When we seek Him, we will no longer need to gratify our flesh. We will replace earthly desires with a longing for heavenly rewards. We will replace man’s success with God’s glory. This does not mean that our fleshly desires go away totally—no! But when we say no to our flesh and seek “the Lord and His strength; seek His face always” (Psalm 105:4), then, as men of God, we grow stronger. Sadly, many men have been called but failed to return to the Overseer. “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).
God graciously calls all of us to spend eternity with Him! As wise men, we ought to consider this: Have we given heed to this great calling of our Father and turned back to Him, our soul’s Overseer?
Have a great weekend.
Stephen L. Thomas, RTM