THe Lord Is My Shepherd

God’s Power Principle For Today:  “Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”  (Psalm 100:3)

Hey Gang:  Isaiah presents an appealing image of our Heavenly Shepherd.  He is not only strong, but also tender.  He is able to defend us against any kind of danger or difficulty. Gathering the lambs in His arms, He gently leads the ewes.  He is aware of our weakness and vulnerabilities and knows exactly who we are.  The Eastern Shepherd differs from the shepherds in western countries, they ‘lead the sheep’ but the westerners 'drive the sheep’.

Is it not ‘out of sight’ to know that we have a Heavenly Shepherd watching over us, but I admit it’s hardly flattering to be compared to sheep.  Although my knowledge base on the idiosyncrasies of sheep is very limited,  I have heard they are stubborn and abundantly stupid animals.

A.B.”Banjo” Paterson, a famous Australian writer who wrote “The Man From Snowy River” wrote a description of the Australian native Merino sheep that should give us pause when we think of shepherding, especially from God’s perspective.  When Merino sheep were introduced into America, it took a heap of learning for shepherds, who thought that this critter was a dangerous monomaniac and had but one goal in life –to make life as miserable as possible for the shepherd.

If there was fire, a sheep would walk around the fire until the fire consumed it.  If they were in a river bed and a roaring flood would approach, sheep would stubbornly refuse to cross three inches of water to save their necks.  If the leader happened to come to the edge of a cliff and jump off, the entire flock would follow suit. 

Sound familiar? Even a tiny bit?  As a youngster I was much like that Merino ram.  I had a tendency to do the wrong thing at the right time and right thing at the wrong time;  I found myself in hot water more than I like to admit.  Do you sometimes have a talent for getting into trouble, being stubborn, and capable of great stupidity? I am very sorry to say that fits perfectly someone I know fairly well,  Baaa!.  I am looking in the mirror as I share this morning message.

Sooo, take a moment and laugh at yourself and thank your Heavenly Shepherd for being patient with you and many times taking the dumb things and make them "work for good for those who love the Lord" (Rom 8:28).  And say a special prayer for an old ram that acts much like a merino sheep, namely one 'old gramps!'

Blessings,

Gramps