In the prophecy of Micah, God gives us a wonderful glimpse of Jesus as our shepherd. The LORD speaks of Him which is to be “ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting,” declaring,

"And He shall stand and pasture [His flock] in the strength of The LORD, in the majesty of the name of The LORD His God; and they shall abide…" [Mic 5:4]

When we are shepherded by Jesus, who pastures us in The LORD’s strength and in the majesty of His name, we abide, we remain with Jesus. It is Jesus, as our shepherd, which allows us to, as Paul commands, “let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.” It is His loving and tender care as a shepherd, who “maketh [us] to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth [us] beside the still waters,” which compels us to continue abiding with Him. The character of Jesus is opposite of the bad shepherds of this world, who “feed themselves” in lieu of the flock, and who, according to The LORD,

"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." [Ezek 34:4]

But Jesus is not like these shepherds. His methods of pasturing are pure, and filled with love. They continually draw us nearer to Himself and keep us close; our Job is simply to stay near Him. In Ezekiel, The LORD tells us how He will shepherd those who are His:

"I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment." [Ezek 34:14-16]

Our Father shows us, through Micah, we are not destroyed nor lost when we stay close to the shepherd, being pastured/shepherded in His strength and majesty. Though we are weak, as sheep are, His “strength is made perfect in weakness,” and though pitiful and needy, again like sheep, we may find satisfaction and health in His majesty, which can be found through intimate fellowship with Jesus, The Shepherd, through the study of God’s word and prayer. If we do that we will abide, we will not be moved.

"I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." [Psa 18:6]

"He only is my Rock and my Salvation: He is my defense; I shall not be moved." [Psa 62:6]

But truly Jesus is the one who keeps us abiding. He is the true power behind it all, being the Good Shepherd. He comforts us with these words,

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." [Jn 10:27-30]

We are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” [1 Pe 1:5] and “preserved in Jesus Christ.” He is the one, Jesus alone, who is able to “keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of [The Father’s] glory with exceeding joy.” [Jude 1:24]

CONCLUSION

Jesus securely guards us in His fold, if we choose to submit to Him and allow Him to do so. He is our Good shepherd, and no sheep which remains in the flock is ever lost. Jesus’ sheep remain close to Him and are tenderly taken care of. By God’s infinite strength we are kept in the flock, He is the one who keeps us, changing our hearts and putting within us a desire to stay near, as He is the fulfillment of every need and desire we have. The LORD tells us, in Jeremiah 32:40, “I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.” And this fear keeps us close, for those who are not in Jesus’ flock will one day be cut off. But those within the flock of God will have The Messiah as their shepherd, as The LORD speaks through Ezekiel,

"And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd." [Ezek 34:23]