Sheep: It’s difficult to not freak out!

-Pastor Melissa Fain-

6 My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains; from mountain to hill they have gone, they have forgotten their fold. 7 All who found them have devoured them, and their enemies have said, “We are not guilty, because they have sinned against the Lord, the true pasture, the Lord, the hope of their ancestors.”

Jeremiah 50:6-7 NRSV

Did you know even the best sheep lose all sense of control when they are scared? Any sudden noise or movement, and sheep will be anywhere but where they were.

In the Bible, God’s people are compared to sheep. Yep, those cute fluffy, animals the shepherds watch. God is the shepherd, and we are the sheep. It’s really fitting, because we are like sheep in that we tend to not keep calm when things go crazy. It doesn’t matter how put together we normally are, when crisis hits, we are throwing out ideas without thinking about the problem, or we ‘re running around like we’re on fire!

Good shepherds know that’s how sheep are. That’s part of what makes them good. While a bad shepherd would let the sheep run off and get lost, a good shepherd understands and brings all the sheep back together.

The shepherds were at Jesus’ birth, which means the sheep were there too. The sheep are a reminder that God still loves us and wants us in the fold when we freak out and react without thinking. When we are prone to get distracted, God gets us back where we need to be.

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Question: When is it difficult to stay calm, and what are some ways you handle it?
 
Prayer: Dear God, we are getting closer to Christmas every day, keep us close to you, our good Shepherd. Amen.

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