We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6
There's many references in the bible of how we're all like sheep or how Jesus is our shepherd. Same thing. As many times as we've heard the verses like that, have you ever really taken a second to stop and think about sheep? There are two very striking similarities between the breed and humanity and they've been on my heart lately.
1. Sheep are dumb. No, like seriously dumb. Did you know that if one of the sheep in the herd were to run off a ledge to its demise, the rest would follow? For real, how DUMB is that?! In my anatomy class last semester when we were learning all about brains we had to dissect a sheep brain in lab. We had learned that it's not the size of the brain that determines how smart a person is, it's the number of creases and folds their brain contains. The more creases you see on a brain, the smarter the person was (very simply put). Sheep brains are almost completely smooth. Yeah, not that smart. Back to the ledge analogy, we're SO much like sheep in the sense. How many times do we look up to, or even idolize another person? We want to do things JUST like they do. We want to dress like them, talk like them, do the same things they do. This too is dumb. We need to model our lives after Christ. He has set forth the most perfect example and we should pray every day to be more like Him. We also need to realize that we're simple minded and can't possibly understand or grasp the things that God knows. He knows what's best for us. He's there for our guidance and protection. We (I, definitely, included) need to seek His will for our lives and understand that He's all knowing and we're.. well.. dumb.
2. Sheep are vulnerable. In what universe could any sheep EVER stand a chance against a wolf, a bear, or even a dog for that matter? Sheep don't have huge fangs or sharp claws. They're completely and totally dependent on the shepherd for protection and guidance. If a sheep were to go out on his own to try to take care of himself he wouldn't last very long. How many times do we try to take matters into our own hands or go down our own pathways until we get utterly slaughtered? It's only then when we realize that we can't protect ourselves or see the really big picture in life. We really need to trust and rely on God for that protection and gentle guidance in our lives. He truly does want what's best for us (remember Jeremiah 29:11).
Try to go through this week remembering to fully rely on God for everything. Because without Him, we're all just dumb and vulnerable :)
(For fun: When I was looking for a picture of a sheep for this blog I found this little guy. He just happened to remind me of Da-a-avid Crowder! Haha, enjoy!)
