Prone to wander, Lord I feel it...

Why do sheep need a shepherd? I would argue that they are needed for two main reasons. One is that sheep are prone to wander off. The other would be to protect the sheep from predetors like wolves.

As I was thinking about my wandering heart I asked myself 'Why do I wander?' Why can't I just stay put. I begin to do some research on literal sheep and what sort of things made them walk off and leave the rest of the flock. Food! The internet site I looked at said that sheep will wander off thinking that the food is better 'over there.' Enough said right!?! I was immediately convicted that my heart often takes off thinking that the grass over there in that other pasture sure looks greener. Another site begin to describe the hard job of the shepherd. The sheep could be completely correct. The grass may be better somewhere else, but the shepherd has good reasons for not leading the sheep to these pastures. Maybe the shepherd is aware of the dangers in that place, or maybe he knows that a harsh season is coming and he needs to keep the sheep off of that grass so that it will be there when they need it most.

I found comfort as I read this. Jesus never promised us that we would always be in the best situations possible, as a matter of fact He promised us hard times. I may be wishing that I had a better job, or that someone didn't die. I may be thinking that a little extra money sure would make me feel a little more secure or wanting my relationships to be stronger. All of the sudden I realized that these feelings are not always wrong. Maybe I could have a 'better' job as I saw it, or it does really hurt that a loved one has been born into eternity. Maybe a little extra money would be good or my relationships could be better. However, all the while I have to know that my Great Shepherd loves me and is looking out for my well being.

Then the best news hits me...one day someday we will see the greenest of green pastures. There will be no fear of wolves. There will be no thoughts of 'the grass is greener on the other side'. One day, when He says the time is right He will lead us to that place. May He hasten the day!

The Shepherd who leaves the flock...

Often times we see our local church as the entire Kingdom of God. I realize that none of us would actually say this out loud, but I know that I am guilty of these thoughts and so I am going to assume you might be as well. My local church recently went through a few years of rough waters surrounding our senior minister position. We have been looking for a shepherd to lead this local flock for the better part of the last five years. About a year ago I really came to notice how I was praying for our church and the next senior minister. I was very selfish and assumed that God had nothing to be concerned about other than filling our pulpit. Then it hit me! These men are shepherds who leave local flocks but only to go and serve another part of The Great Shepherd's flock. In order for The Great Shepherd to send an undershepherd to us, He had to take that undershepherd away from another part of the flock.

I began to see a picture that I cannot say is completely biblical, so understand that from here on these are my thoughts. I imagined this very large pasture with millions of Sheep, Goats, wolves and Shepheds. The sheep and goats were split into thousands of small groups. Some maybe had 20 others had 2,000 in their number. Most groups had shepherds, but some where without a shepherd. There were wolves spread throughout the pasture, waiting for an opportunity to pick off one of the fold. Then there was a Master Shepherd, who stood on a hill watching over the entire scene. This Master Shepherd had a plan to bring all of the sheep to Himself and He had prepared the undershepherds to bring His plan about.

Application: You see, in this picture my church was one of the groups without an undershepherd. I was worried that we were vulnerable both to the wolves and to ourselves. I wasn't looking at this through God's eyes. He was watching over our fold, He was watching the wolves, and He understood better what the plan was. In order to send us an undershepherd He had to take one away from another fold. Maybe the fact was that there were many wolves surrounding this other fold, while we were realitively safe? Or maybe God was shaping one of our own fold to become our undershepherd? (which praise be to God happened to be the case!)

I think that it is very important for us to see the Kingdom of Christ as a whole, it changes everything! We have a Great Shepherd, that while others come and go, He never leaves us or forsakes us and has plans to one day bring us all to Himself.