Isaiah 53

The Sheep

"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. " (Isaiah 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.  --Marty Dunn

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