Posts Tagged: sheep

“When You Feel Lost”

On May 31, 2021 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant,

            for I do not forget your commandments.” (Psalm 119:176, English Standard Version)

I grew up on a working farm, but we did not have sheep by the time I joined the family. I once asked my dad why we didn’t. His answer was terse: “They can’t take care of themselves.” He went on to explain that he had tried to raise sheep, but neighbors dogs ran them to death—literally.

God’s people are often compared to sheep. This is true of Israel, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Followers of Jesus in the New Testament are also often called sheep. This is not a flattering comparison.

I have been feeling pretty down for the past several days. Sunday morning, my prayer consisted of one remembered verse from the longest chapter of the Bible, Psalm 119. “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant,

for I do not forget your commandments.”

I looked at the Hebrew for the verse, but I also checked a couple of commentaries to see what those who are wiser than I am might have written. I was tremendously comforted by two very wise and humble students of the Word—Derek Kidner and J.A. Motyer.

Derek Kidner comments, “The note of urgent need on which the psalm ends (lost could be translated ‘perishing’) is proof enough that the love of Scripture, which has motivated the scribes of every age, need not harden into academic pride. This man would have taken his stance not with the self-congratulating Pharisee of the parable, but with the publican who stood afar off, but went home justified.”

J.A. Motyer writes, “[Verses] 175-176 focus on personal needs, the sense of ebbing vitality and the tendency to stray. The clue to vitality and to recovery is the sustaining and unforgotten word.”

“All we, like sheep, have gone astray,” says Isaiah (53:6). Yep, that sounds about right. But to be aware of our lostness and of God’s Word, and to vocalize those awarenesses in prayer—these are perhaps enough. Sometimes, they are all we have.

Oh, I almost forgot. I only quoted the first part of Isaiah 53:6 just now. The whole verse reads as follows:

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to our own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.”

The New Testament applies the “him” who carried our iniquity to Jesus. When I feel lost, I need to remember who called himself “the great shepherd,” and who was called “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” I need to remember. I need to remember.

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“WHEN GOD ISN’T IN THE PICTURE”

On June 1, 2017 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

I receive a daily e mail from Loyola Press entitled “3-Minute Retreat.”  (You may access today’s meditation at http://www.loyolapress.com/retreats/like-sheep-with-a-shepherd-start-retreat, accessed 06-01-2017.)  Each meditation has a brief passage from the Bible, a few thought-provoking comments, a couple of questions, and a closing prayer.  It also has a background picture.

The Scripture today was Luke 12:32.  “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.”

Part of the comment from the author of this meditation is as follows: “We are created and sustained by a loving God, on whom we depend as sheep on a shepherd.  With our generous God as shepherd, we have no more reason to fear.”

Luke 12:32 is a wonderfully comforting and energizing verse, and the comment was right on target.  However, it was the juxtaposition with the background picture that especially struck me this morning.  There is no shepherd anywhere in the picture!

And that is the way feels most of the time, isn’t it?  God seems very absent from our daily lives.  There is grass, sky, hill, other sheep, but no Shepherd.

However, neither cameras nor our eyes can catch all that is there.  God is indeed working in our lives, though we rarely suspect it.  He is indeed pleased to give us his kingdom.

In the background picture, one sheep out of the approximately fifty-seven sheep is looking directly at the camera.  Most of the time, I am like the fifty-six.  I’m eating, looking at other sheep, and doing whatever else it is that we human sheep do.

Perhaps the person who is taking the picture is the shepherd.  Perhaps our Great Shepherd is taking the picture that we call “our lives”.  Perhaps we are the subject of God’s shutter art.  Perhaps God is too humble to be very obviously present in our lives.

It may be that you and I could choose to look up every once in a while, and look in the direction of the One who is taking the picture.

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