BAAAAAAAAAAA!

Photo by Thomas Bormans on Unsplash.

Just look at that cute face pictured above.  Think about God loving us enough to carefully and purposely create a sheep whose characteristics would be so close to ours that it would serve as the perfect metaphor to help Him communicate to us the intricacies of a relationship with Him.

He did a good job!  We are just like them, and this is not necessarily a compliment, but a realistic assessment of who we are and what we need.                                                                

Sheep are somewhat intelligent, tend to wander and are absolutely defenseless.  They have nothing to protect themselves, no claws, fangs, venom, quills or talons.  They are not fast, and they cannot fly.   They cannot survive on their own.  

So, God inspired some special people, shepherds to care for them, to watch over them.

Sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd and will only follow him.  They trust him to meet their every need; to lead them to water and a field where they can forage for food. To provide shelter and come and find them if they get lost.  To help them give birth if necessary and bandage their wounds. To protect them, even to the point of giving up his life. 

Like sheep, we need a shepherd whether we realize it or not!  Ultimately, we also cannot survive on our own.   

According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, there are 262 sheep/shepherd references in the Bible.  Jesus refers to them in John 10:1-15 (paraphrased).  Speaking metaphorically, He said, ‘I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – they listen to my voice.  I call my sheep by name and I lead them out.  I go ahead of them and they follow me because they know my voice.  I am the good shepherd and I lay down my life for the sheep.’  

He wants to restore you to the close ‘sheep to shepherd’ relationship He once had with man.

He sent His son to be your ‘good shepherd, to ‘lay down His life’ for you, which He did on the cross.  He desperately wants you to become one of His sheep and begin to ‘know Him’, ‘listen to His voice’ and ‘follow Him’ just as it was in the beginning. 

Accept Him as your shepherd and He promises in the words of King David in Psalm 23, to ‘make you to lie down in green pastures; lead you beside the still waters.’  Give you peace.

‘To restore your soul; lead you in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.’  To make you righteous before God.

To be with you, ‘Though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil; for He will be with you; His rod and staff will comfort you.’  You will live without fear and experience His comfort.

To ‘prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies; He will anoint your head with oil; your cup will run over.’  You will not ‘want’ for the necessities of life.  He will anoint you with His presence in your life helping you to be prosperous in everything you do.

He promises that ‘goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life; and you will dwell in the house of the Lord, His house, forever.’   You will experience goodness and mercy all the days of your life and spend eternity with Him.

If the Lord is your shepherd, ‘you shall not want’.

                                ISN’T THAT WHAT YOU WANT, ‘TO NOT WANT?’