Sheep Need A Shepherd

By Ed Wittlif   “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21 ESV).     I never liked being compared to sheep even before I read Phillip Keller’s “A Shepherd Looks at The Good Shepherd.” Sheep blindly follow one another; they constantly go astray; they are unable to find their way back, and they are helpless. When I learned those things and more about sheep, I must admit that God comparing us with sheep is a good comparison.     “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned ⌳ everyone ⌳ to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). “I know, O LORD, that the way of a man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). We like to be in control of our lives. When we are young, we believe that we are invincible. We feel certain we are going in the right direction. The truth is that we are just stumbling blindly along, heading toward destruction.     Jesus told a parable about a lost sheep and how the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine where they are safe and goes to seek the one lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7). God sent His Son among the sheep with the purpose, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus is the good Shepherd who takes care of His sheep.     Our Shepherd guides and equips us with everything we need. To follow His lead, we must be in His word, seek His help through prayer, and seek aid from brethren who are spiritually mature so that we will stay on the right path.

- Ed Wittlif lives in Fort Worth, Texas. Ed has written two books, Baptism What is it Good For? and 52 Devotionals on Spiritual Warfare. Both are available on Amazon, He has served the church in many roles and as a shepherd. Ed can be reached at es_witt_504@yahoo.com.