"All We Like Sheep"

“All We Like Sheep”                         

{Community Bible Study Devotion given 10.11.2016} 

     Don’t you love a good story.  Well, I’m going to tell you a special story God orchestrated for me & my family last Christmas (2015).  I have always enjoyed the Christmas Season, but the entire month of Dec was unusually special for me. 

It all began during the Fall months with me baby sitting my three grand daughters on Fridays.  Part of the schedule was picking up two of them from school.  Audrey was 1 1/2 yrs old at the time, Haven 3 1/2 & Lauren 5 1/2.  On the way to pick up Haven from school, all of a sudden I saw something I had never seen before.  It was a beautiful flock of cream colored sheep right on the corner of where I had to turn.  I went crazy!!!  Where was my phone camera when I needed it?!  I really knew I missed my awesome opportunity of taking a picture, because when I returned, they were gone:(  Oh well!!  I was still so excited, I told everyone.  We did keep seeing the sheep from time to time during the Fall months, & I did finally get my pictures:).

I’m very organized, & part of my planning two weeks before Christmas was shopping for the Christmas turkey meal which I had done for 41 yrs.  As I was in the grocery store all of a sudden I got in my head to buy a leg of lamb instead of the turkey.  I was actually excited about this, which was very unlike me.    What was I thinking!!!?  I had never cooked a lamb in my life!  I asked the butcher for help with my new endeavor, & we finally found the only leg of lamb in the store.  I was so excited!!

It was now Friday, 8 days before Christmas.  I was on my way to pick up Haven as usual, & I couldn’t stand it any more.  All of a sudden I found myself turning into the driveway of the beautiful home where these sheep live.  My heart was pounding & I felt like a giddy little girl.  Audrey was asleep in the back of the car.  I left her there & made my way up to the beautifully decorated door.  I knocked several times & finally a darling college age girl, who I woke up, came to the door.  After I gave a “sheepish” explanation of “You don’t know me but, does your family ever let strangers see your sheep?”  She sweetly explained that her family did all the time.  Well, I jumped on that with all fours!!!  I was so excited, I could hardly stand it.  I was planning to wait to surprise everyone at the end of the day to let them all know what we might be doing, but! as soon as Haven got in the car, I was babbling away.  When Jenny, my awesome daughter-in-law, came home from work, I told her the entire detailed story.  Jenny then told me that just recently Haven PRAYED that God would let her hold a lamb!!

Tuesday, 4 days before Christmas, finally arrived; and we were going to visit the sheep.  It was a beautiful day!!!  The weather was perfect, & everyone was well.  But, before I left my house, I had to check my Christmas-to-do list.  I couldn’t believe what I had written down 3 days earlier-thaw out the lamb :o!  I felt like I was killing the Passover Lamb.

 Anyway, the first thing the girls got to do on the sheep farm was hold Eugene the lamb, who was wearing his Christmas sweater, & feed him his bottle.  Noel, the pregnant sheep followed us everywhere.  We were there for a few hours & I took 100’s of pictures.  God gave us a day beyond our wildest imaginations, & most of all, answered YES to a 3 1/2 yr old child’s prayer.

 This year on (2016) March 27 was Easter.  Yes, as time got closer I began planning the big meal.  I wanted to talk to Lauren, who was turning 6, to see what she would like to add to the menu since we were celebrating her birthday at the same time.  So, I started rattling off the menu & said, “Lauren, Nanna is planning to have that special ham that you like, and lamb, and..”  Before I could say another word, without missing a beat—Lauren looked at me so intently with eyes as big as saucers and said, “Are we going to eat Noel!?”   ALL OF A SUDDEN IT BECAME PERSONAL!!!

It is the same way with God!  It was personal to Him when He sent Jesus to be our sacrificial Lamb.  From the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation, from the manger to the cross: God showed us His grace & redemption through Jesus our Great Shepherd.

God’s people were shepherds & understood the ways of sheep very clearly.  These people not only treated these animals as a business, but many times it was more than that.  Many of these sheep were personal to them.  They named their sheep, the sheep knew their master’s voice, gentle touch, were loved, & that their masters would take care of their needs.  No wonder God spoke to His people many times using this illustration.  God says we are like sheep.  In Is 53:6-All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the sin of us all.  Sheep love to do their own thing, and so do we.  We clearly see the beginning of this in the Garden of Eden with Adam & Eve.  Personally, I have not thought about this until writing this devotion.  I would not be surprised, if God killed a sheep to cover Adam & Eve’s sin which was a foretaste of Christ shedding His blood for us.  Don’t forget Adam’s first job was to name the animals/sheep which he knew them very well.

  God’s people learned how to worship God by sacrificing rams, sheep, lambs, & other animals on altars.  As they would bring their sacrificial offering for the forgiveness of their sins, or peace offering, or even thanksgiving & praise offering; their animals had to spotless, without blemish. 

I find it interesting that many times God had the person who was giving the sacrificial offering, had to put their hand on the head of the animal while the animal was being killed, & by this they would feel the life leaving the animal.  WHY???  BECAUSE  IT’S PERSONAL!!!  Jesus is our only spotless, w/o blemish sacrifice for our sins.

  God shows us a part of Himself through His Names: Jehovah-jireh: The Lord will provide which He provided for Abraham a ram as a sacrifice instead of Isaac.  Jehovah-raah: The Lord My Shepherd in Ps. 23.

  We had the privilege to visit this sheep farm two times.  We held a lamb that was 4 days old, & feed Noel corn tortillas.  These visits made Scripture jump off the page in 3D living color.  We saw how the sheep ran from a stranger, but ran to their Shepherd just like we need run to Jesus, keeping our eyes on Him & in His word.  Sheep need to be lead & not left to wander.  God never intended for us to wander. That is why Jesus calls us His friends.  We are His adopted daughters & sons; we are not orphans.  God keeps His promises & covenant: He is our God, we are His people, & He will dwell in each of our hearts if, & only if we ask Jesus to be our Savior.  We saw how sheep really do leap for joy, as we should do in our hearts in praise to our King.  It was so clear to see how the shepherdess loved taking care of her sheep; as God our Father loves taking care of us.   Finally, we learned all about the staff that really does comfort, guide & keep the sheep out of trouble; just as God’s Word does for us.

From the Garden of Eden, to the shepherds at the manger, to the finishing of the sacrifices once & for all at the cross—our story doesn’t end there!!!  BECAUSE IN REV 5 WE HAVE THE LAMB STANDING! THAT WAS SLAIN, & HE IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE SEVEN SEALS.  He is our Victor & will be called Faithful & True.  Yes, it was very much personal to Jesus, is He personal to you?

     

ann :)