06/02/2026
Shepherds Among Us
The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel. Amos 1:1
If God ever gives you the opportunity to change careers, to start over again and to choose any occupation in the world in order to be used by Him in His service…choose “shepherd”. There is pretty good Biblical support for that choice. Do not choose “lawyer”…not so much scriptural support there.
Amos was a lowly shepherd…from Tekoa…not even from Israel (the Northern kingdom) where God sent him to prophesy. He was a shepherd and a foreigner…with a very unpopular message.
God shows us over and over again through His story that He is perfectly willing to use common, every-day, “average Joes” to impact the world; not only willing but seemingly preferring of the common guys, the shepherds. There is nobody too small, too remote, too plain, nor too obscure for God. He just has an eye for talent, doesn’t he?
I wonder if you as a church leader have the same eyes? Do you see the unbelievable potential in the small, “insignificant” people of your congregation? More importantly, do your people know…REALLY KNOW…that our God is big enough and powerful enough to choose THEM to make a difference?
Evangelist, Mordecai Ham had such an eye. He saw something in a 16-year-old farm boy who came to one of his tent revivals in Charlotte in 1934. This was a farm boy who had been kicked out of church for being “too worldly”. But Mordecai Ham must have seen something different in order to spend the time to sit with him and tell him about the Christian walk. It just seems to me we all need those kind of eyes. We all need to ask God to help us see the “shepherds” among us and how He might use them to make a difference in the world. The unknown shepherd from Tekoa had a timeless message straight from God. Mordecai Ham’s 16-year-old outcast farm boy would also end up having a message for the world. His name was Billy Graham…maybe you have heard of him…and maybe the next Billy Graham is in your youth group right now, or in your singles ministry, or your prayer meeting.
Got any shepherds…any 16-year-old farm boys in your church? Any of them who just don’t seem to fit in, who seem “too worldly” to ever really make it in the church? Do you have any members who seem like outcasts, who won’t conform and be like everyone else? Ask God for eyes to see and for ears to hear. You might be surprised.
Coffee
