Day 4 | Living as Sheep - Shawna

If the Lord truly is my shepherd, that makes me a sheep! What does it look like to live like one of His sheep? Sheep trust, follow, listen, and obey as a flock.

Sheep are dumb animals. God is not insulting our intelligence by calling us His sheep; He is calling us to dependence. Sheep will die quickly without a shepherd. They won’t find food or water, they’ll be attacked by an enemy, or wander off a cliff. 

Check out the 15 second clip of a sheep’s inability to choose wisely.

Sheep Trust

We try so hard to be self-sufficient. Surely, we know what is best for our lives. We often forget who is in control and who knows best. 

In their hearts humans plan their course,

  but the Lord establishes their steps.  -Proverbs 16:9

God has far more knowledge and control than we do, and He also knows the future. If we truly believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving, won’t we trust Him to guide our steps? Won’t we trust that He will work things for our good? 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  -Romans 8:28

Will we let go, stop grasping for control, and trust the One who truly is in control?

Sheep Follow

Sheep don’t go wherever they want. They know life with the shepherd is best. The shepherd shows them when and where to rest, the shepherd brings them to places where they can be fed and refreshed. The shepherd leads them to what is best. Yes, sometimes they may go through dry spells, it may be hot, or the going may be tough. Ultimately, however, the shepherd knows he is leading the sheep where they need to go and will bring them to what is good.

Sheep can’t be just like their shepherd, but we can be just like Jesus! When He died and rose again, He sent His Spirit to live in us. The same Spirit that guided Jesus and gave Him power lives in us if we believe! The Holy Spirit will enable our hearts to be transformed into the heart of Jesus. The Spirit will produce His fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control within us. Through the Spirit, we truly have the power to LIVE LIKE JESUS, following His example and becoming more like Him.

Sheep Listen

Sheep know where to go because they know the voice of their shepherd. Do we recognize God’s voice when He speaks to us? Do we spend time silencing the noise around us to listen for Him? 

There are so many other things in this world that try to be our shepherd. Success, popularity, money, fame, the news, or social media. All of these voices scream at us all day every day to “follow them.” We must silence the noise. Limit screen time. Don’t always have ear buds in. Take a walk or a drive in silence. Learn to sit in silence. Solitude and silence are spiritual disciplines that Jesus modeled for us and we must put them into practice in our lives if we are to be His sheep. Scripture tells us that:

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.  -Luke 5:16

If Jesus needed this to connect to His Father and listen to the Spirit, then we must need it too!

Sheep Obey

Just as Jesus taught in the parable of the talents that those who are faithful with little will be entrusted with more, I believe if we listen and obey in the little things first, God will then invite us to participate in even bigger things.

There was a time in my life where I craved to hear God’s voice. I wasn’t sure what it would be like for Him to speak to me, so I begged Him to do so. Then, I was walking outside and I heard Him say inside my head, “Pick up that piece of trash.” I look down, and sure enough, there’s a piece of trash on the ground. That couldn’t be God’s voice, I thought. Surely, He doesn’t care about a piece of trash. But then, I felt a nudge that I had recognized God’s voice and needed to obey in this small thing; my obedience would make me more open to hearing His voice in the future. So, I picked up the trash. It wasn’t a transformational experience, but it was obedience. When we hear God speak, we test it against what we know of His character through Scripture, and if what we heard is in line with that, we must obey.

Sheep are part of the Flock

It is easy to overlook, but sheep are always in a flock unless they wander off, and when they wander, there is great danger. God in His wisdom didn’t call individuals to follow Him - He called a people group. What started as the nation of Israel expanded into an invitation for all to come into God’s family, to be adopted as sons and daughters. We are a family, a flock, the body and bride of Christ. One of the greatest tactics of our enemy is making us think we can live our faith alone. We need to be in a group, studying together, challenging and encouraging one another. We need to worship and pray regularly with other believers. Fellow sheep, please don’t wander from the flock!

REFLECT

1. Do you fully trust God with your future, your finances, and your daily life? What steps can you take to trust Him more?

2. What is your contribution as part of the flock? How are you helping to care for and serve fellow sheep?

PRAYER

Lord, I confess that at times I am a stubborn and willful sheep. I surrender my wants, desires, and worries up to you. Help me to trust you fully, hear you regularly, and obey you faithfully. Give me strength to follow wherever you lead. Bring me into deeper community with your flock where I can be strengthened and grow, but also where I can help others. Help me remember I wasn’t meant to live out my faith alone. And Good Shepherd, help me to know your voice. May I quiet my heart and mind to listen, hear, and obey.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

Set aside at least fifteen minutes to spend in silence, listening for your Shepherd’s voice. Begin by reading Luke 5:1-16. Then, picture yourself in that scene watching the events unfold, listening to Jesus speak, and have a conversation with Him. Ask Him questions, tell Him what you’re thinking, and listen for the voice of your shepherd.