When I was a little boy, we lived in Iowa and my Dad was owner of Scott Sheep Company, we traveled every year to Wyoming where he bought lambs that were shipped back to our farms in Iowa for preparation for market. On those trips I met shepherds, men whose lives were all about the care of their flocks. They lived alone for much of the year with only a sheep dog and a few hundred sheep for company. They braved harsh conditions to lead those sheep to pasture and protect them from predators.
Those images come to mind every time I read the Shepherd’s
Psalm, reminding me of the Great Shepherd who cares for me. Let these ancient
words settle over you today-
"The Lord is my
shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever." (Psalm 23, NKJV)
In a world full of noise, threats, and real danger, too many
live in constant anxiety. Excessive worry and fear are as common as the cold
and rob millions of their best life. Must we simply endure it? Is there a way
to change the perception of the world around us? YES!
The mind can be re-directed, thought patterns changed, if we choose to
listen to the voice of the Lord, soaking in the counsel of His word, He will
lead us out of our fears and into joyful abundance. Faith is both a gift of God
and a choice to be made by us.
God’s people are His flock, in His care, at rest!
Christians are derisively referred to by some as ‘dumb sheep,’ the implication
being that they are easily led and manipulated. It is true that sheep are not
among the world’s more intelligent creatures! Eons of domestication have made
those wooly creatures defenseless, dependent, and content to be led from pen to
pasture. The care of the shepherd is required if they are to thrive! Thus, the
comparison of people to sheep can be a genuine insult.
But God is not insulting us when He calls us His flock! He is reminding us that He will care for us, that we need not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by evil, confusion, or fear. Sheep with a good shepherd are not restless, milling about in anxiety. The Psalm says that “He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. … I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me." (Psalm 23:1-4, NLT)
Are you struggling with anxiety at some level today?
Do feelings of fear or hopelessness stalk you, perhaps even overwhelm you?
Meditate on those words from the Shepherd’s Psalm. Personalize it by inserting
your own name as you read it aloud. Thank the Lord that He has made you one of
the sheep of His pasture.
When we take our
independence from the Shepherd, running off on our own, we take on the
character of goats! Those creatures resist all boundaries. In the Bible, sheep
are a symbol of those who love and follow Jesus. Goats are symbols of those who
separate themselves from God’s grace and care.
The wonderful reward of being ‘sheep-ish’ is clear. Jesus says "My
sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal
life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."
(John 10:27-28, NIV)
This word from the Word comes from Ezekiel. He heard the voice of the Lord in a time when the spiritual leaders of the nations were not caring for the people. It is a lengthy passage which I encourage you to read slowly, perhaps even aloud, letting the promise settle your soul in the Shepherd’s care.
“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself
will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his
scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places
to which they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will bring them
back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I
will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers in all the places
where people live.
Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they
will lie down in pleasant places and feed in lush mountain pastures. I
myself will tend my sheep and cause them to lie down in peace, says the
Sovereign Lord. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I
will bring them safely home again. I will bind up the injured and strengthen
the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them,
yes—feed them justice!" (Ezekiel 34:11-16, NLT)
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