LIKE SHEEP

 

Saturday, September 19, 2026

 

LIKE SHEEP

Isa 53:6

6 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.

 

Matt 9:36

36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

 

          The phrase “like sheep” is found five times in the Old Testament. Matthew records the musings of Jesus after the woman at the well returns with her people. He saw them as sheep without a shepherd, and that sight broke Christ’s heart.

 

          We are so far removed from a culture that is agriculturally based that we now have a Bible that is often misunderstood. Not because the Bible has become irrelevant, but because as readers we are not diligent.

 

          Sheep need herders to thrive. They wander from blade of grass to blade of grass until they are lost. They do not set out to become lost. They simply set out to satisfy desires. Vagabond humans are no less susceptible to becoming lost for the same reasons.

 

          Jesus saw the Samaritans having two problems of the lost. First, he said they “fainted.” The Greek ekluo simply means to relax, but you and I understand fainting to mean something else as well. To faint means to sit down in weariness. Next, Jesus sees them as “scattered abroad.” The Greek rhipto means to suddenly be dispersed. The idea is that some predator or some tormentor has caused the herd to lose its cohesiveness. They no longer are a group. They are single units. They are prey. This touched the Good Shepherd’s heart and squeezed from it compassion.

 

Jer 50:6

6 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.

 

Lord, as a shepherd, I well understand the grief that comes from seeing a scattered and fainting flock. As a sheep, I also understand the unrest that exists until you gather us into your fold. Thank you for seeking and finding me. AMEN

 

DON’T LIVE IN CAREFUL SUSPENSE!

 

Friday, September 18, 2026

 

DON’T LIVE IN CAREFUL SUSPENSE!

 

Luke 12:27-31

27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 

          The phrase in verse 29, “neither be ye of doubtful mind” roughly means “do not live in careful suspense.” We all can relate to that, can’t we? Despite our best efforts at emotional stability and spiritual maturity we are often loaded down with care and suspense.

 

          We look to the lilies as models of calm confidence in their Creator. They do not anxiously work to make changes in their circumstance. They do not spin yarn and weave fabric to make clothing and yet they are clothed gloriously as they stand in total surrender to their Master. We protest that we are not lilies! We don’t simply stand mindlessly planted in the dirt while the sun beats down upon us or we are drenched with rain. But are we not, when we think about it, capable of orchestrating the events of our lives? Are we not equally dependent upon the Lord for His mercies?

 

          The thought upon which to focus is that God cares more for us than he does for lilies and grasses. Nature provides her need in faithful cycles. Wringing our hands murmuring “what shall we eat, or what shall we drink and wherewithal shall we be clothed” has no impact upon the hunger or thirst or nakedness. God looks down, sees our need and out of the riches of His character and nature provides exactly what we need in a timely manner. Your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

 

          The activity that should fill our time of waiting is prayer and reaching for the kingdom. Labor therefore to know your God intimately and to do His will and His work diligently. While you are at work at these pursuits God will, because He is God, provide all these things that cause you to live in careful suspense.

 

God, it is hard to set aside careful suspense and to replace it with calm trust – but I shall try. AMEN

 

SEEDTIME AND HARVEST!

 

Thursday, September 17, 2026

 

SEEDTIME AND HARVEST!

 

Gen 8:21-22

I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. [by sending a flood]

22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

 

          I woke up this morning thinking about Fall. I love the browns and oranges of the season. I like the crispness of the season before it yields to the bitterness of winter. The call of the crow and the playful giggle of the school yards can be heard for miles because it is carried by the morning mists. The tunnels of overhanging trees are beautiful as they present first an explosion of color and later a sugar-coated wonderland. Of all the seasons, Fall is one of my four favorites.

 

          Texas, where I have lived now for most of my life, has eight unique climatic zones across an area of 268,581 square miles! Her winters are short, cold, dry, and windy; and it is partly cloudy year-round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 36°F to 96°F and is rarely below 24°F or above 102°F, but this is the time of year when we Texans are more than ready for some cooler weather. In February we will change our minds about that.

 

          Climate change is a big deal these days, but God’s promise is not a political football. “While the earth remains” is an encouraging promise of moderation and peace. “Seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat” is how God describes four very distinct and purposeful seasons. While we may focus on the extremes, God presents us with the gift of seasonable climate. "The Lord said in his heart." It is the inward resolve of his will.” Climate does change! That is both its nature and purpose.

 

James 5:7-9

7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.  You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. NIV

 

Thank you, Lord, for your inward resolve to grant us a refreshing throughout the year. AMEN