May 20, 2007 - Sheep vs. People
Have you ever noticed how the Bible compares us to sheep? We have sheep, so I speak from experience, when I say that we do very much resemble sheep in some ways. That is not always a good thing! For sheep are very stupid and can be led astray very easily. All a person has to have is a little sweet feed, and sheep will follow them anywhere! If the wrong person did this, harm could easily come to these vulnerable animals. But they are happy as long as they have their food. Once the food is gone, however, they become discontent and realize that they are in a dangerous situation. The temptation is sweet and pleasing for a time, and then it turns to danger.
This is just like us! Satan can easily lure us away with “sweet feed”, or sin. It seems pleasing and sweet to us for a time, but then the danger comes.
Sheep are also, for the most part, pretty defenseless. If a predator comes toward them, their only defense, really, is to run. But they don’t always. If the danger looks pleasing to them, they may not run. A stranger could enter a sheep pasture, but if they held a bucket full of sweet feed, would the sheep run? No! They would very likely go toward the person. Satan is like this, he lures us into sin. When he comes, and tempts us with sin, do we run? Not always! The sin looks pleasing to us and we even sometimes go towards it.
Isaiah 53:6b says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way...”
Jeremiah 50:6 “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray; They have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; They have forgotten their resting place.”
These are reasons why sheep need a shepherd. And fortunately, as God’s children, we do have a Shepherd! The greatest One of all! When we are lost and God calls us to Him, it is like a shepherd calling to his sheep.
Matthew 9:6 says, "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd"
1 Peter 2:25 says, "For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."
God cares about us, He is our Shepherd, we are His sheep! Sheep love their shepherd. Their shepherd provides food and water for them, he cares for them. Without their shepherd, sheep wouldn’t make it long on their own.
John 10:11 says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
John 10:7-9 says, "Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."
Psalm 100:3 says, “Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”
Psalm 79:13 says, “So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations.”
The shepherd also protects his sheep from enemies. As God’s children, our number one enemy is Satan. But, like a shepherd protects his sheep from enemies such as wolves, God protects His sheep from our enemy.
Jeremiah 23:1-3 says, " “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the LORD. “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase."
Other “shepherds” will try to come along and lead you astray, but be sure of this! GOD is the only shepherd that will truly care for and protect you. He promises you this if you are His child!
John 10: 12-16 says, “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
Ezekiel 34:10-12 says, “Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them. For thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.”
John 10:26-28 says, "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."
There is something to do on your part, too, though. If a sheep wanders far from its shepherd and the rest of the flock, there will be a greater chance of danger. We need to stay close to God, our Shepherd, and close to other Christians, the rest of the flock. There is less temptation there. How do you do this? Stay in the Word of God. Pray to God. Fellowship and worship with other Christians.
Remember, we’re like sheep! We are, well, to put it plainly, stupid. We do make mistakes sometimes, and God may be up there saying “why in the world are they doing that?”. I know, because when we stand in the pasture with our sheep, they are really stupid! When you try to feed them, they stand in and on the feeder, they get in the way, they can just about knock you down. They do not realize how dumb they are acting, and we’re standing there going, “get out of the way! I will feed you if you get out of my way!” That is just how we act sometimes. God is trying to “feed” us spiritually, or trying to show us something, or give us something, but we’re in the way. We try to do it ourselves; we hinder God from giving us what He wants to give us. If we get out of His way, and just step back and let Him work, we would be amazed at what He would do for us!
Comments
May 21, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Kadeesis said:
Hi!
I am a new blogger. I was wondering if you could show me how to get a picture. I believe it is where some people put there avatar but I think I want a picture. If you could help me that would be great. If not then that is fine.
Thanks
p.s. I am KD
May 22, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Sunshine Princess said:
have you ever read a book called "a shepherd's look at the twenty-third psalm" (or somesuch title)? it's really good, and says some of the same things you said in this excellent post. BTW, Emy, if you want to reply, you can reply beneath this comment and I will prolly see it. I check all ya'll's (yours, Meggy's and Grace's) every coupla days... I enjoy them!
~Lana
May 22, 2007 - hey lana!
Emma92 said:
no, i've never heard of that book but it sounds really interesting! i'll have to look for it, thanks for letting me know! wow this is really weird to comment on my own blog! lol! yah i heard that Sarah was the guinea pig and you put make up on her! how did it go?
well ttyl! thanks for commenting!!
~emy
May 22, 2007 - Untitled Comment
luv2swim1894 said:
Hey! Ok a chip and dip party is where u hang out w/ u'r friends and eat abunch of chips and dip. I agree that Joy shound post entries more! lol Any way, I love coming 2 u'r blog. Its sooo cool!
xoxo,
Kris10
May 22, 2007 - hi Emy
Sunshine Princess said:
Yeah, I did makeup on "Sarah", she was brave enough to be first. that, or her older bro made her... Then I did D, and he was like, "Whoa, I look good". haha :^) Today Sarah's Eldest Bro and I actually filmed several scenes, and worked with lighting, and so anyway, he finally got to wear makeup too! LOL! It looked very natural, especially on camera. Tell your sister I said thanks for her help, the advice she gave me came in very handy!
