Up early this morning. Listened to an old clip of Rich Mullins talking about a trip to Asia where he heard a sermon on the Good Shepherd. He said how interesting it was to hear the sermon from the perspective of someone who has never seen a sheep or knows about shepherding. They don't have those in the particular country he was in. The pastor then put a lot of effort into understanding what these creatures were and why they were raised. That part got me.
Sheep are raised for wool, milk, or meat. Now granted there might be one or two places that keep a sheep or two for a pet. But the main reason to have, keep, and put up with sheep are for wool, milk, or meat. And wool is only for so long... eventually they all are butchered for the shepherd. wow...
Here in America, I think we tend to view our little Christian selves as cute little lambs, frolicking on the plush hills (or at least we would like to), finding ourselves hunted by the big bad wolf, and occasionally rescued by the Good Shepherd. We are His pets that He created to hang out with. Right? It really is all about me! Right?
But to think about the real reason a shepherd has sheep. To think about Him wanting us for what we can provide to Him or His family. To think about my fluffy coat being taken (with or without my offering it) to be used by the Shepherd. To bless, to comfort, to give to others. My fluffy coat are the words, deeds, and things that God can use to provide for His family. That I can offer all of that in complete joy to His cause knowing that is why He keeps me around.
Or how about that milk. Has God gifted you with the ability to nourish others. I think of teachers, parents, pastors, etc that God feeds on His abundant hills so that you can lay around gorged? No, He has given to you that you might give life to others.
And lastly to think of why most sheep were kept in Israel. To be sacrificed at Passover. God keeps us to eat us. He intends that we will die. Die to our little worlds that we fabricate. Die to our dreams. Die to our plans. Die to what we want or demand that God give us. Die. Die. Die.
We are all going to die. We can die on some forsaken hill by a shepherd who could care less for us or we can die healthy and fat by the Good Shepherd's hand, fulfilling what He has asked of us. People like to talk about God having a plan for you, and how great it will be. Yeah... it's death. Only through death will there be abundant life. That is His plan and God doesn't have a plan B. You can either accept it and be a part of His plan and experience pure JOY in that, or you can die on some forsaken hill, ravaged by disease and not even be worthy to be eaten.
He is the Good Shepherd and I want to be His lamb...I want to experience real joy. I want to be with Him. I want to be fat and healthy enough to be chosen for sacrifice. But until then, He can have my coat and milk to share. That is why He's keeping me around. I want to be useful to Him.
Of course that means I need to stay out of the briers and follow His voice. Ouch... my toes hurt too.
