John 10:27-29
“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. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand”
So, the last topic we dove into was fear and how to overcome it. This week’s blog is directly related to the last entry, so If you haven’t read “Test the Waters” I encourage you to do so. This whole week I have been soaking in and chewing up some things that are quite practical and closely related to our current situation as it relates to fear. We have seen and heard many negative connotations about how we are like sheep, how sheep follow blindly lack common sense etc., etc. What can be said about sheep other than they provide great resources and meet many needs. Did you know that sheep are mentioned more than 500 times in the bible? Anything written that frequent is cause for attention! There is a distinct parallel to how we behave like sheep, not in a negative way but more of a design. Furthermore, how can be possibly be compared to Jesus the Sacrificial Lamb who followed the Greatest Shephard? How can be even be worthy of such a parallel?
I have been exploring more of the social behaviors of sheep, what happens when things go wrong and interrupt the natural flow of things. What we know for sure is that beyond any shadow of any doubt sheep are prey! Sitting ducks if you will. That are incapable of truly defending themselves without the protection of the flock, its members and the Shephard. Their only sense of protection from other wildlife, is to stick together! They move together, they maintain eye contact while grazing in the field, and form close bonds with their unit. It is believed that they have feelings just like you and I do and even have similar reactions that you and I have when under stress. They develop a flock mentality and when one moves the other follows. They have a very acute sense of hearing and can actually capture a higher frequency of sound that is audible to our very own ears. So, in the face of a wolf or other predator, they either depend on one another or flee! 2 options because inside they are very meek, nervous, and mild tempered.
Imagine with me that we are in a flock together enjoying the light of the day, chewing the hay! There is a mild breeze in the air, just beside the calm still water. We make eye contact, even produce higher inflections of our best sheep voices because we are having such a great time just being together. Just a regular day! Until the big, bad wolf comes in the form of FEAR, which scatters us to and fro. Do you know the outcome? Even if we don’t actually die but are separated. No more social interaction, no more grazing and doing life together, we just simply scatter and are off to ourselves! There is so much danger in being left to ourselves because as sheep, when we are removed from the flock panic, stress, anxiety kick in and surely enough we fall PREY to a host of things. It may manifest itself in the physical sense as an illness, it may not. Maybe it’s disguised really well behind a mask and life as we know it is no longer the same. Now because of our panic-stricken state, and or trauma, we no longer have the capability to go back and form our social bonds because now we need post trauma care.
When sheep get into a state like this do you know what helps calm them? A soothing quiet voice of someone whom they trust and one whom they can see. Their Shepard! Their keen sense of hearing allows them to know that still small voice of the one who has protected them along! Things that make you go hmm. Right? Are we any different than this exact situation? COVID-19 hit, panic spread worldwide, everyone scattered and was basically forced into isolation. But is that really the safest option? At what expense did that pay on your mental health and ability to feel secure. God has called the body to be a like manner. We are regarded as his sheep. There is absolute safety in numbers and we often mimic one another’s behavior or go with the masses. I would never want to shame anyone into feeling bad about not attending church nor for being afraid. I think we are all kind of shell shocked. What I would like to do is encourage you to step out, test the waters and join the flock! We are truly dependent on one another, in a strength weakness sort of gamut. What I lack, you have and vice versa. We cannot be left to ourselves in isolation! I have seen far too much in regard to others keeping to themselves. All 3 of the men in my immediate family, including both of my brothers and my father, lost their lives to suicide. There were many other factors into the equation, but one certain truth is that they hid themselves from others and got left into their own thinking. How do I know that? Because any rational human being wouldn’t take their own life. See the truth is, we need each other to speak into our lives and when we have crazy feelings of fear, shame or pain we aren’t meant to bear those things alone. We are meant to stay together. What I see in our current situation is a trap! I have been praying and asking the Lord for wisdom during this season, to offer insight in ways that I can help others and myself. Part of my health is staying connected to my flock! They keep me sane when I get stuck inside my own mind and overthink things like thunderstorms.
For instance, just the other day, there was a wicked storm outside. The lightning was just over top of our neighborhood. Flashes that struck so bright, it lit up the dark. I sat in my kitchen alone and afraid. So, I decided I was going to make myself some Ramen soup right away in case the electric went out. I conquered that feat until I met another obstacle. I thought to myself how am I going to eat this with an electrical storm outside? I’m not grasping those metal objects to eat my soup! Seriously guys, I gave this a lot of thought! Was it rational? Surely not or maybe that’s up for debate. I had no one to bounce ideas off of so for me it became my truth! So that was just a silly illustration of how askew we can really get when we are left alone and afraid.
Now I understand that even though I was physically alone, I’m never alone. God is always with me! But what about when my fear is louder than his still small voice and I can’t hear him whisper? Sure, as I’m sitting here, I will tell you what I did. I panicked! Thankfully I was able to find some plastic ware, ate my soup inside and didn’t get struck by a bolt of lightning! So where are we in the midst of what’s happening around us? Do you have a sounding board? Do you know what else calms a petrified sheep? A mirror! Mirrors make them believe they aren’t really alone. Come on I know I’m not the only one with these crazy ideas. I know full well I need to stay with the parameters God set before me and stay connected to the flock and stay under the leadership of our Pastor.
Jesus wasn’t always with the masses; he often would withdraw himself and spend time alone with his father just as we are to do the same. For your own safety, don’t overdo it with the fear trap! Before you know it, you will be looking for plastic ware to eat your soup too! Seriously though, there are so many scriptures that reveal how loved we are by our Great Shepard and how he instructs us as his sheep. Here are a few of them for you to chew on!
John 10:1-16
‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
John 10:27-29
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. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
Matthew 18:12-14
“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheepthan over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
- 1 Peter 2:25
For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Matthew 10:16
Verse Concepts
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.
John 1:29–1:29
29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:14
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
John 10:14
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
IN DEEP WATERS 