A few weeks ago, Randall in his series on sheep, put a word picture in his writing on July 6 that I can’t get out of my mind. We have not done this much, commented on each other’s blog, but I think I want to, on this picture. Not that I am thinking that the series on the subject is lacking - just feel to share my meditation on the picture shared in that blog.
This picture is this - when Randall was talking about he and his wife watching the sheep as they ate - on their recent trip to Germany, he said they “seemed to be walking in a single file all in one direction and then after a while they would turn as if on cue and go in the opposite direction, grazing all the while, rather oblivious to their surroundings.”
What a picture - we are like sheep. The Bible makes several references to the comparison.
What I have been pondering on this picture over the past six weeks is where I am in the single file of the sheep and the responsibility of each of the sheep in the row.
What if we were the leader - not the shepherd - but one with some influence over the others? What if we walked into a dangerous path? The others are not paying attention but trusting our direction, and walk into danger. We are all sheep - probably without much more instinct about spiritual danger than a sheep - the Bible compares us more than once. Here is one of those references, in Is. 53:6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way . . . "
What if the front sheep in the flock walked where there was not much to eat - then the others would suffer from hunger too. What a responsibility of that sheep at the head of the file.
What if we were one of the others - fifth or six in the file - walking along - what about the others following us? Are we leaving good cues for those behind us so that they will not fall or be hurt?
No need to go on and on but you get the picture that I am pondering. Where am I in the file of sheep? What leadership do I give for those following behind? What will happen to those behind me if I suddenly go off the path, or otherwise go where I shouldn't? Every sheep in the single file has a special responsibility - to those following.
Thank God for the book of directions - for all of us sheep - His Word. As we study, there is no reason to go astray. However, we must always be careful who we are following, who has influence over us. Then, even more importantly, we have to be careful in how we walk, the paths that we take . . . because of those following us.
Submitted by Naida
This picture is this - when Randall was talking about he and his wife watching the sheep as they ate - on their recent trip to Germany, he said they “seemed to be walking in a single file all in one direction and then after a while they would turn as if on cue and go in the opposite direction, grazing all the while, rather oblivious to their surroundings.”
What a picture - we are like sheep. The Bible makes several references to the comparison.
What I have been pondering on this picture over the past six weeks is where I am in the single file of the sheep and the responsibility of each of the sheep in the row.
What if we were the leader - not the shepherd - but one with some influence over the others? What if we walked into a dangerous path? The others are not paying attention but trusting our direction, and walk into danger. We are all sheep - probably without much more instinct about spiritual danger than a sheep - the Bible compares us more than once. Here is one of those references, in Is. 53:6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way . . . "
What if the front sheep in the flock walked where there was not much to eat - then the others would suffer from hunger too. What a responsibility of that sheep at the head of the file.
What if we were one of the others - fifth or six in the file - walking along - what about the others following us? Are we leaving good cues for those behind us so that they will not fall or be hurt?
No need to go on and on but you get the picture that I am pondering. Where am I in the file of sheep? What leadership do I give for those following behind? What will happen to those behind me if I suddenly go off the path, or otherwise go where I shouldn't? Every sheep in the single file has a special responsibility - to those following.
Thank God for the book of directions - for all of us sheep - His Word. As we study, there is no reason to go astray. However, we must always be careful who we are following, who has influence over us. Then, even more importantly, we have to be careful in how we walk, the paths that we take . . . because of those following us.
Submitted by Naida
posted by Randall | 10:05 p.m.
4 Comments:
Naida great word,
What a responibility. I never through about who is following behind me,or how what I do ,or don't do ,can lead them astray.We all say that people are watching us to see how we live our lives but we don't think about them following us.We don't understand the influence that we can have, with out us even knowing it,with family,friends,or people we hardly know.Thank you for making me look at how I look to other.
C.M.
Hi miss Naida,good to have you back home,your absolutely right,no matter what my number is,to the one's behind me,Iam #1,so it's me that they watch for leadership,so if I lose my way,I could end up dragging a lot of the flock down with me,so I better keep my eyes on the shepherd,and stay close to the leaders ahead of me,for their leadership.I pray that I never forget, that to JESUS ,each one of us is,the 1,and no one is more important to him than me.Thank GOD that Jesus never gives up on any of us.
Coffee
Not that I am looking for compliments on a particular blog, but one of the highest compliments I can receive is when Naida comments on it.So with this in mind I want to comment on her excellent summation regarding the sheep series. Even if at some point in time there are more blogs on sheep, I consider this blog of hers an excellent summation. It has already prompted two great responses from C.M. and coffee amnd I have found that some of their copmments are better than my blogs. But this one today Naida summarizes so well our daily witness whether or not we are cognizant of what is going on around us. A great blog today!
Oh yes, this thought was given to me after the Bible study on Tuesday evening from our great brother
Johnny; he told of a news incident in a small community where sheep were raised and one sheep walked over a precipice and fell to its death and many others followed it to their own destruction before the shepherds could stop them, in fact there were so many of them that they were landing on top of each other This is an example of what you are telling us Naida. My desire is to be the example that Jesus would have me to be. RC
I know personally that I have been in that line of sheep and have led the ones behind me astray. Its not a good feeling looking back on it now, but Jesus allows us to make our own decisions and as long as we put Him first, we always will learn from our mistakes. Sometimes the lessons are so huge that we cant believe that we actually live through them, but we can because Jesus knows that what we go through and what we learn from it makes us a better person. The outcome will bring all praise to Him!!
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