Special Care of the Flock

Know ye that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we
ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Ps. 100:3.

[Jesus] knows the wants of each of His creatures and reads the hidden,
unspoken grief of every heart. If one of the little ones for whom He died is
injured, He sees it and calls the offender to account. Jesus is the Good
Shepherd. He cares for His feeble, sickly, wandering sheep. He knows them
all by name. The distress of every sheep and every lamb of His flock touches
His heart of sympathizing love, and the cry for aid reaches His ear. One of
the greatest sins of the shepherds of Israel is thus pointed out by the
prophet: "The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that
which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have
ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that
which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they
were scattered, because there is no shepherd. . . . None did search or seek
after them." . . .

As Deity He exerts mighty power in our behalf, while as our Elder Brother He
feels for all our woes. The Majesty of heaven held not Himself aloof from
degraded, sinful humanity. We have not a high priest who is so high, so
lifted up, that He cannot notice us or sympathize with us, but one who was
in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. . . .

You will have many perplexities to meet in your Christian life in connection
with the church, but do not try too hard to mold your brethren. If you see
that they do not meet the requirements of God's Word, do not condemn; if
they provoke, do not retaliate. When things are said that would exasperate,
quietly keep your soul from fretting. . . . You must labor for the erring
with a heart subdued, softened by the Spirit of God, and let the Lord work
through you, the agent. Roll your burden on Jesus. You feel that the Lord
must take up the case where Satan is striving for the mastery over some
soul; but you are to do what you can in humility and meekness, and put the
tangled work, the complicated matters, into the hands of God. Follow the
directions in His word, and leave the outcome of the matter to His wisdom.
Having done all you can to save your brother, cease worrying, and go calmly
about other pressing duties. It is no longer your matter, but God's.

Do not, through impatience, cut the knot of difficulty, making matters
hopeless. Let God untangle the snarled-up threads for you. He is wise enough
to manage the complications of our lives. He has skill and tact. We cannot
always see His plans; we must wait patiently their unfolding and not mar and
destroy them. He will reveal them to us in His own good time. Seek for
unity; cultivate love and conformity to Christ in all things. He is the
source of unity and strength. . . . If you do as God would have you, His
blessing will come into the church (Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 346-348).

~ Lift Him Up - Page 218