“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. “ (Isa. 53:6)
I am a sheep. I wish I were a lion, the “king of beasts”, but I am not; I would not mind being a ferocious tiger, or a majestic elephant, but I am only a lowly sheep. I would like to be something else, but I cannot change what I am. If I am raised among wolves, I am still only a sheep; I do not stray from the flock and become a predator; I do not learn to growl, because I am only a sheep. I can never change what I am, so I must learn to be content with being a sheep. All the “hoping”, all the “trying”, all the associations in the world will not change what I am, and pretending to be different will not make me different, because I was born a sheep, and will remain a sheep.
Oh, I get so tired of running in fear at the sight of danger; I have no defense against attackers, but must rely on the Shepherd and His ability to protect me. If I try to lose myself in the midst of the flock, the predator seems to find me; I fear being ravished by the wolf. I cannot call out, I do not know how to bark, nor to growl back at him, and I don’t even look fierce enough to scare the wolf away. I must rely totally on the Shepherd, He is my only hope of survival, I must stay close to Him.
Yes, many times I wished that I was not the meekest of all animals. I sometimes dream of being something that I am not; I find myself wishing I were not so helpless, and could run on my own, go my own way, and fend for myself, but I realize then, that I am merely a sheep. I fantasize about being the predator instead of the prey, but when danger comes, I see my frailty, and run to the Shepherd. I am so glad for the Shepherd’s care. He is there when danger comes, and in the “quiet” times as well; He constantly watches over His flock. Without His presence I would be overwhelmed with fear, and surely be ravished by the wolf. I would not be able to find green pastures by myself, nor to seek out the streams of refreshing, but would wander aimlessly in the wilderness, and undoubtedly be torn by some ferocious beast. Without the Shepherd, I have no haven, no place to run to for safety; I thank God for the Shepherd, the keeper of my soul. He does not allow me stray, though I am prone to do so, but watches over me night and day. I will stay close to him, it is the only wise thing to do.
Showing posts with label sheep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sheep. Show all posts
Psa 119: 169-176
“I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.” (v. 176)
David sounds much like Isaiah in 53:6, he knows the heart of man, and the wickedness of the flesh. Christ spoke of this very thing in his parable of the lost sheep, and seeking after the one that went astray, (Mt 18:12). David admitted that he was prone to go astray, and that the flesh is weak. He never forgot his place before the Lord and his own frailty. He knew that he was a sheep, helpless, and totally at the mercy of the Shepherd, only his Shepherd was the Lord of glory!
Here we have another great verse for eternal security, though he had went astray, he honored God and His commandments again. God will seek us out when we go astray, and bring us back to the fold. We may leave the fold, but we never quit being a sheep! When we do leave, in our foolishness, the Great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, will seek us out and draw us back to Him. Restoration is a glorious thing, and it is from the Lord. His Word will bring us back again!
What a wonderful salute to the Word of God this Psalm has been, and a wonderful legacy to our God. There is so much in It for us, restoration, cleansing, wisdom, knowledge, victory, and much, much more, all there for our benefit and betterment. “Great peace have they that love thy law…” yes, great peace indeed. Remember that Christ is the Word, and He is in every page throughout this psalm, and in nearly every verse. What an amazing tribute to an even more amazing God! Again, let me say that we ought to read this psalm often, with great anticipation, and with careful diligence to see the Lord of the psalm.
Did you ever hear the saying that “confession is good for the soul”? David knew how to confess and how to humble himself and obtain forgiveness, he had done it many times. Reading the psalms gives us a good look at the heart of this amazing man of God. We would do well to learn his heart and emulate him.
David sounds much like Isaiah in 53:6, he knows the heart of man, and the wickedness of the flesh. Christ spoke of this very thing in his parable of the lost sheep, and seeking after the one that went astray, (Mt 18:12). David admitted that he was prone to go astray, and that the flesh is weak. He never forgot his place before the Lord and his own frailty. He knew that he was a sheep, helpless, and totally at the mercy of the Shepherd, only his Shepherd was the Lord of glory!
Here we have another great verse for eternal security, though he had went astray, he honored God and His commandments again. God will seek us out when we go astray, and bring us back to the fold. We may leave the fold, but we never quit being a sheep! When we do leave, in our foolishness, the Great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, will seek us out and draw us back to Him. Restoration is a glorious thing, and it is from the Lord. His Word will bring us back again!
What a wonderful salute to the Word of God this Psalm has been, and a wonderful legacy to our God. There is so much in It for us, restoration, cleansing, wisdom, knowledge, victory, and much, much more, all there for our benefit and betterment. “Great peace have they that love thy law…” yes, great peace indeed. Remember that Christ is the Word, and He is in every page throughout this psalm, and in nearly every verse. What an amazing tribute to an even more amazing God! Again, let me say that we ought to read this psalm often, with great anticipation, and with careful diligence to see the Lord of the psalm.
Did you ever hear the saying that “confession is good for the soul”? David knew how to confess and how to humble himself and obtain forgiveness, he had done it many times. Reading the psalms gives us a good look at the heart of this amazing man of God. We would do well to learn his heart and emulate him.
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