THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD; MY LIFE AS A SHEEP
April 19, 2021
Prayer: Lord, please help us all to be less difficult to shepherd. Amen.
Scripture: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even 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 overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. NIV
Many of David’s psalms are full of complaints, but this one is full of comforts, and the expressions of delight in God’s great goodness and dependence upon Him. This week is intended to give you some food for thought and fun as we understand the idea of God as our Shepherd and we, His sheep, a little clearer. I think I could write an autobiography entitled: “My Life as a Sheep.” Look for any signs in the characteristics of sheep that mirror us once in a while. Enjoy!
Sheep – Sheep are prey animals with a strong gregarious (sociable) instinct, congregating close together.
- They become stressed when separated.
- Sheep are also extremely food-oriented, and association of humans with regular feeding often results in sheep soliciting people for food.
- Those who are moving sheep may exploit this behavior by leading sheep with buckets of feed, rather than forcing their movements with herding. **What happens when there is an announcement that there are treats in the lounge? Have you ever attended a meeting for the food?
- In regions where sheep have no natural predators, none of the native breeds of sheep exhibit a strong flocking behavior.
- Sheep can also become hefted to one particular local pasture so they do not roam freely in unfenced landscapes. (Psalm 119:10)
- For sheep, the primary defense mechanism is simply to flee from danger.
- Secondly, cornered sheep may charge or threaten to do so through hoof stamping and aggressive posture. This is particularly true for ewes with newborn lambs.
- In displaying flocking, sheep have a strong lead-follow tendency, and a leader often as not is simply the first sheep to move, which can result in leading each other to slaughter.
- Sheep can recognize individual human and ovine faces, and remember them for years.
- Sheep have good hearing, they know their shepherd’s voice. (John 10:27)
- Sheep have horizontal slit-shaped pupils, possessing excellent peripheral vision; with visual fields of approximately 270° to 320°, sheep can see behind themselves without turning their heads.
- They tend to bump into things or stand fearful of moving forward because of something they fear that is behind them that they have already passed. (Philippians 3:13-14)
- Sheep have poor depth perception; shadows and dips in the ground may cause them to balk.
- In general, sheep have a tendency to move out of the dark and into well-lit areas, and prefer to move uphill when disturbed. They do not like to take the narrow path. (Matthew 7:13-14)
- Sheep are frequently thought of as extremely unintelligent animals. **Have you ever been treated as less intelligent because you profess to be a Christian?
- Very rarely, sheep are used as pack animals. Tibetan nomads distribute baggage equally throughout a flock as it is herded between living sites. **Share the burden but would rather not carry any baggage.
- No creature will lose itself sooner than a sheep, so apt is it to go astray, and then so unapt to find the way back.
- A sheep’s herd mentality and quickness to flee and panic in the face of stress often make shepherding a difficult endeavor.
Shepherd – The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were:
- to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep
- to defend the sheep from attackers
- to heal the wounded and sick sheep
- to find and save lost or trapped sheep
- to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust.
What does this information about sheep and shepherds show you about your relationship with Jesus? With those in spiritual authority over you? With those you are shepherding?
Which aspects of sheep do you see most often in your life?
Which task of a shepherd do you see as most important and most like God in your life?
Copyright Kathy Branzell. Email [email protected]