All We Like Sheep

Scripture uses many analogies to describe our relationship with our God- He, the heavenly Father, we, His beloved children, our Savior as the Bridegroom, we , the church, His bride- our Commander in Chief, we, His soldiers in the army of God......   but one of my favorite would have to be the tender picture of the Shepherd and His sheep.

Many saints' favorite Psalm would most likely be Psalm 23. I remember my Daddy, with just a few days left on this side of Heaven, reciting all six verses as he lay on his hospital bed. He didn't remember things on certain days but he told me what Psalm 23 said perfectly. Such a comfort that Psalm must be to Christians as they are transitioning from this walk of life to their new address. The words of Asaph in Ps. 73:24 come  to mind. "Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory."  Another Ps. 48:14 says it like this "For this God is our God for ever and ever ; He will be our guide even unto death."  I am blessed by the thought, this morning, that our faithful Father was at work on me in my sweet mother's womb,Ps139, has been actively involved in my life "all the days of my life"  and will be with me even in the seconds as I close my eyes for the last time or until Jesus comes and I am looking for Him today!

     A favorite book of mine, probably familiar to many of you who read this blog, is written by Phillip Keller, once a shepherd himself, called A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23. This Psalm was written by a shepherd; Ps. 78:70 "He chose David also His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds."  Both of these men knew the nature of sheep and I love reading and gleaning from the lessons they teach me.

      How are "we all like sheep?"  In the previous blog, I spoke of God's power and we sheep need that because we are weak. When fierce animals of prey come to mind, we might think of the roaring lion, the menacing tiger, the black bear...A man shared with Danny and me just this week of a bear, about 6 feet tall, trying to tear a sliding glass door from its frame- just a few miles north of us- and the terror, he said, of the people inside! (Interestingly enough, the covenant of the neighborhood prohibits the homeowner from cutting down the tree from which the bear had access to his deck, or from killing the bear. Quite the dilemma, huh? I listened to him and thought that is why we don't live in those covenanted neighborhoods- well, maybe the money issue too!?!?  My hunter husband, Dan, would have a hard time with that commandment- what? spare the bear???  Well, that's a lesson for a different day but America does have some things backwards today, don't they?)

Back to the point- a sheep bleating at that man's back door would have not frightened anyone but rather, would have prompted pity, probably. Sheep aren't predators, they are the prey. Be reminded that 1 Peter 5:8 tells us that " our adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he my devour." Sheep, really, are pretty defenseless- most of the time, all they can do is run and even at that, they win no gold , nor silver, nor bronze medal for their speed. So, we need a powerful , protecting Shepherd and praise God, we have One!

Isaiah 53:6 says "all we like sheep have gone astray. " Yes, we like sheep are directionless. I, for one, do not have a good sense of direction. Dan likes to try different routes when we go to a new place- he likes to go one way and figure out another to return home. Me- I need left and rights going and rights and lefts when I return. The world is a picture to me of sheep wandering, going here and there from one activity to another, and never finding what it  is they are searching for. I just read the verse recently where Jesus had compassion on a crowd because He observed they looked like "sheep having no shepherd."  Sheep need a plan, a purpose, a path. Mr. Keller says that neglected sheep will overgraze a land until it is nothing but a barren wasteland, they will wander and eat poisonous flowers, simply put, they aren't very smart. We need a plan Provider, a path Producer, and we have that in our Shepherd. He leadeth us in the paths of righteousness. I love the old song, written in the 1800's which goes like this "Savior, like a shepherd lead us. much we need Thy tender care, in Thy pastures feed us, for our use Thy folds prepare. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou hast bought us, Thine we are." We need to know the path and He has  promised to provide- how well are we following?

So, we sheep need power, protection, and provision and and we need something else that I believe the whole world, every individual's heart, is seeking after- sadly, many are looking in all the wrong places. Sheep need peace. Will you confess, along with me, that you don't function well, as a Christian, when anxious thoughts are directing your day? Sheep need peace to thrive- notice the words "green pastures", "still waters", "fear no evil".  Many times, Scripture exhorts us to not be afraid, to stop our fretting. Paul encourages us "to be careful (anxious) for nothing..."  I think in that Phil 4 passage, he basically tells us-"Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything."  "But, Deborah", you say, " how do we do that in these days of uncertainty- financial difficulties, diagnoses of diseases, terrorism threats, etc?"  May I answer? The same way the sheep do in a fold of a good shepherd.  Mr,Keller says the sheep can hear the noise of a predator and be almost fitful until he walked in among them with rod and staff in hand and immediately they calm. Why? They know him and trust him. Dear believer, I don't know what you are facing but has your Shepherd ever let you down? Our Good Shepherd gave His life for us. If the enemy of your soul tries to plant that seed of doubt concerning your current crisis, travel back in your mind to Calvary. "He Who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"  Rest today, dear one, our Shepherd is on duty. He promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us.

I love this Psalm and I see a praising sheep as he begins with "because the LORD is my Shepherd, I have everything I need" and closes with "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." Isn't that the most joyful thought that we can look behind us and see two faithful companions who have followed us all our lives? Their names, Goodness and Mercy!  The little sheep ends with "there is no pasture or fold like this one I am in- the grass is not greener on the world's side of the fence and I am just gonna dwell here." Peter asked the right question "Where else is there to go?"  Yes, Yes, fellow sheep, we definitely, (positutely- a Landon word- a combination of positively and absolutely), have the best of both worlds. He's with us here, PROVIDING, PROTECTING, PURIFYING, PATH-CLEARING, PEACE GIVING and one day, maybe today, we will be with Him where He is, in answer to His John17 prayer. "Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world."

Hopefully, these few words whet your appetite concerning the many times that you, a sheep, in the fold of the Shepherd, are mentioned in God's precious Word. If so, go read John 10 and be blessed. I think that I will go right now and read that wonderful chapter from God's love letter to me and you!

Looking up, Deborah 

I am looking right now, at a picture that the kids gave me years ago, of a sheep in a snowfall, white on white, of course, and underneath, the caption "The LORD is my Shepherd."   Thank you, Jesus!!