Sheep, Not Snacks

This is a series of devotions and meditations on scripture, rejecting fear and championing faith. It discusses the importance of staying close to God and relying on His word. It compares believers to sheep and highlights the need for regular pruning and guidance from the Lord. It emphasizes the power of fellowship and unity among believers. It also addresses the misconceptions and challenges in society regarding topics like sex. Overall, it encourages believers to embrace their identity as children of God and strive to become who He has called them to be. Welcome to Fear No Fear. Grace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit embrace you today. This is a series of devotions and meditations on scripture. We reject fear in any and all forms. Fear is a spiritual force, the currency of darkness and ignorance. It's what we inherited when Adam gave up his faith and Satan uses it to keep people down. His only weapon is words. If he can get you believing or looking at words of fear, he's got you. Instead, we champion faith as an allegiance to God, as a belief and trust and loyalty to the Lord God Almighty. We accept the evidence of his word as unvarnished truth, as is, just as it's written. We get close to his perfect love through the word, and perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4.18 All scripture is taken from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Visit eBible.org Jeremiah 14.8-9 You hope of Israel, its Savior in the time of trouble. Why should you be as a foreigner in the land, and as a wayfaring man who turns aside to stay for a night? Why should you be like a scared man, as a mighty man who can't save? Yet you, Lord, are in the middle of us, and we are called by your name. Don't leave us. This was intercession by Jeremiah for Israel. This is desperate prayer for the people who were making a career of forsaking Yahweh God. I see it as a very loud echo of the intercession of Moses for the people in the desert. It is so easy to look at the Old Testament, and what the people of Israel put themselves through, and think, what was the matter with them? God clearly asks them for simple behavior, provides for them when they'll inevitably miss it. It's very present in a real-world way, and they still walked from Him more often than not. How dumb were they! No wonder He called them sheep. But God didn't start the sheep analogy. They first called Him a shepherd, automatically identifying themselves as sheep or a herd, and then they went and behaved exactly as sheep don't. Sheep are a great thing to identify as. Sheep have rectangular pupils, so they see a wide view of almost 360 degrees. They have a great idea of their surroundings at all times. Their depth perception isn't phenomenal, but their hearing is, and as lambs, they rely on the voice of their mothers to get around. We, too, have a good idea of our surroundings, 2 Corinthians 4, 8-10, and Proverbs 20, 12 tells us, "...the hearing ear and the seeing eye the Lord has made even both of them." And we're expected to use them, but He doesn't leave us to flounder around. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, John 10, 27. Sheep have two upper lips, which allows them to be very selective about what they eat. They can avoid stems and get more leaves, getting better nutrition out of foraging. What is it that we should eat? Jesus answered them, "...most certainly I tell you, you seek me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Don't work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for God the Father has sealed Him." John 6, 26-27. So what is it that we should work to consume? "...I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6, 35. If we eat His flesh and blood, we remain in Him and He in us. It is the food that provides eternal life. That's John 6, 56-57. This is what we symbolize with communion. We enter into that life-giving covenant with Jesus. It's worth it to do it every day, to remember Him and what He does for us every day. The wool on sheep never stops growing, and it needs to be shorn regularly, or it will negatively impact their health. Granted, it should be done in the most humane manner possible, but it needs to be done regularly. We need regular pruning by the Lord, too. We're referred to as branches of the true vine in John 15. After three intense years of training, with many well-documented moments of correction and stepping wrong, the disciples are called pruned clean in verse 3. Pruned clean by the Word. And it is with the Word we are called to keep pruned. Remember, the book of Acts shows us other examples of them stepping wrong and being corrected. It's an ongoing thing. We are never to let it fade away out of our consciousness, 1 John 2, 14. We are cleansed by it. He sanctifies with it, John 17, 17. We're made into the bride that Christ deserves. Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the assembly and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without defect. Ephesians 5, 25 to 27. Sheep are intelligent. They can recognize and remember up to 50 faces of sheep and humans for up to two years. We can sometimes be hard-pressed to remember a barista's name, and we see them every day. Sheep have navigated complex mazes. They've demonstrated intuitive thinking and problem-solving. They may look bland in the brains department, but there's a lot going on there. We're also called to be wise in how we interact with each other. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one, Colossians 4, 5 to 6. We're also called not to think of our wisdom as making us special. God provides us with everything. He is the source, not us. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise amongst you in this world, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He has taken the wise in their craftiness. 1 Corinthians 3, 18 to 19. Sheep are highly social animals with emotionally complex and distinct personalities. They can make friends and then come to that friend's defense. They do best when in a herd or a group, not just for social interaction, but because with a group looking out for each other, those fast friendships, there is a higher likelihood that they will both notice a predator and bond together to avoid it. Lions don't charge into a group of animals because they would be overpowered. They wait for individuals to wander away and then pounce. Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5, 8. That's how the enemy has to get you. Alone. Not strong with fellow believers. In fact, Peter goes on in verse 9 to say, Withstand him, steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings. Colossians 3, 14 to 16 says, Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord. One body, teaching and admonishing one another, binding together in fellowship, we are stronger than when we are alone, lost and not tapped into the resource which is the church. Are there issues with it? Yes. But if we all look to Christ as our head, we can eliminate them. Not because we can, but because Jesus can. In Him, we can all, individually and collectively, be all that He has called us to be, instead of who we think we should be. Sheep can do a lot of other things. They can self-medicate, eating herbs and plants that are beneficial and help improve their health. They can identify when they are not at their healthy peak and avoid areas that their compromised immune systems can't handle. Some can grow horns, which can also be used in defense. They use facial expressions to project and identify emotions. They have a great sense of smell. There are over a thousand different breeds, and they all teach their young what they know, passing on their experiences and the benefits of their lives to the next generation. In fact, if you think about it, the only reason the Lord would have for continuing the sheep analogy once Jacob first called him a shepherd, Genesis 48, 15, is because He sees us in a better light than we see ourselves. We see sheep as stupid, defenseless, and in desperate need of guidance and protection 24-7. But the Father sees us through the lens of Jesus. Jesus sees us through the lens of who He has called us to be. And the Holy Spirit works constantly to correct, guide, teach, and lead us into that which we have been called. They work tirelessly to keep us from dwelling on the fact that we're dirt, Psalm 103, 14, and to get us to lift our eyes to the possibilities inherent in our calling as His children, 1 John 3, 1-3. You see, we start as dust, but we're not just a flesh body. We are spirit beings made in the image of God. We are, in our entire lives, moving from what we once were to what He wants us to be. It's a refining process, and who knows where we're going to end up. But we'll be standing there in front of the throne as that thing that He has made us. We don't have to stay dirt. Now, it's easy to see the Israelites as fools. They walked away from the Lord so many times. But are we any different? No, we are not sacrificing our children in flames. But we do sacrifice them to the idols of popular culture, telling them that things are just entertainment, while we let them fill their minds with morals and ideals that the Word doesn't share. Take sex, for example. We have it so ingrained in our culture that people consider it a need, that dating someone, casually or seriously, inherently has sex as a component of that relationship. This is not what the Word teaches. In fact, if we put sex for procreation, for pleasure, and as a tool of intimacy into the proper position in our lives, would we see it as a need? Do we have the ranging hormones that we all expect kids to have? Well, probably not. Not because the hormones aren't there, but because if we remove the hypersexuality that is rampant in our culture, there wouldn't be dozens upon dozens of boundaryless outlets for it. We can approach sexuality with an informed attitude that doesn't include viewing it as a mere animal impulse genetically programmed to give into it every opportunity. How much else are we worshipping in our lives in that same way? Altars of violence, greed, and gluttony? And that's just based on the last commercial break I saw. These attitudes are everywhere, and we place them before our eyes and our ears almost constantly. We're called to not do that. We aren't called to avoid all things that are pleasurable and entertaining, but we are called to put the word first and foremost. If you make it the center of your life and a main source of thought, a love for it will grow in you. It won't be a chore, but an eager anticipation. It will change your mind, improve your thinking, and give you a clarity to life that is almost unbelievable. It will be health to your body and nourishment to your bones, Proverbs 3.8. Jesus should not be a foreigner in our lives. He should not be someone we put up in a hostel or an Airbnb for the night. Why should we be walking like a powerless person who presents as strong but can't accomplish a thing? The Lord should be our foundation, our fortress, our rock. The Word should be our food and drink. Jesus is everything to all humanity. We need to acknowledge that and give Him the place the Father put in Him, name above all names. God is more than a concept for when you are in need. God is a being that we can interact with, a parent, Lord, and counselor. He is what gives us meaning. He is what we are striving to be like. In Jesus, we can get there because He has promised us that when we stand before the throne, we will be there. It is a lifelong journey that will become an eternal one. Us being like Jesus, this is the grace He gives us. But if we won't walk with Him, we'll be walking away from Him. Instead of being a sheep and a flock unto the eyes of the Good Shepherd, we'll be lost and alone and stalked by lions. Don't walk away from the Lord. Grab the Word and get close to Him today and every day. Be a sheep, not a snack. Our daily affirmation of God's love is Exodus 3, 14-15. God answers our questions, but sometimes we have to wait a bit. In Genesis 22, 7-8, Isaac asks, Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham said, God will provide Himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son. Thousands of years later, God Himself provided the sacrifice. Jesus came and died for us, John 3, 14-21. In Exodus, Moses asked God a question that God answered with improper grammar. At the burning bush, God was sending Moses to the Israelites to lead them out of bondage. Moses asks God who He should say sent Him, what name He should give. God replies, I am who I am, or I am that I am. Thousands of years later, Jesus responded and finished the sentence. Seven times. Jesus said, I am the bread of life, Adarai and Jehovah Jireh. The light of the world, Shaddai and Jehovah Sabaoth. The door, El and Jehovah Nisi. The good shepherd, Eyah Asher Eyah and Jehovah Rohi. The resurrection and the life, Yahe Vahe or Yahweh and Jehovah Rafa. The way, the truth and the life, Elohim and Jehovah Zitkenu. And the true vine, Zabaoth and Jehovah Shalom. Jesus will lead, guide, protect and cause to become that which He desires. Jesus will provide, Jesus will restore and make healthful. Jesus is our righteousness. Jesus is our peace, prosperity and the one who is more than enough. Jesus is our covering and banner. Our strength and victory. Jesus is the Lord of the hosts. The angelic armies of God which He uses to lift us up and minister to us. Jesus is the answer. Who is He? He is everything we needed. Everything we need now and everything we will need in the future. He is the I am who is I am. The one before, the one now and the one that will be. Alpha Omega, our beginning and our ending. He loved us, loves us and will love us. He is our everything if we'll let Him be. He said, don't fear, I am. Think over the names and what they mean. Decide if they mean that for you and if they do, worship Him for who He is. He loves you too much to be anything less than all that He can be. As we close, remember that you have earth. You are precious and valuable. Declare this. Today, God loves that I, now you, fill in the blank. Was it a meal you made? A smile you gave? Did you get out of bed? Read? Put on socks? There's no wrong answers here. There is no end to God's love and no end to the things about you that He loves each and every day. Pick one. And remember, the Lord loves you just because you're you. 1 John 4, 9-10 tells us, By this, God's love was revealed in us, that God has sent His only born Son into the world, that we might live through Him. And this is love. Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. His perfect love turned away God's wrath because of sin. And it casts out our fear too. See verses 18 and 19. We love because He first loved us. He just loves us. Can't get enough of us. And that is wonderful. See you next time.