Saturday, July 02, 2005
*post re-edited on Sunday 03 July 1936hrs*
Looking at the reality TV shows around us these days that promote competition up to the extreme levels...the general message projected is "do you have what it takes?" Look carefully: do you have what it takes to...
...eat amazingly weird/grotesque stuff on Fear Factor?
...emerge unscathed from the complaints and backstabbing on Survivor?
...beat others to the finish of a thousand tasks on The Amazing Race?
(and no, i don't watch all these, though i don't advocate you boycotting them either - nothing's wrong with watching them , though i personally don't really watch tv at all)
Yet sometimes i wonder - why do we try to be all these things? "Surely there must be something more"...
Oftentimes the Bible refers to God as our shepherd...why so? I think it goes beyond David's history of tending the flock - i think (and this is just my personal conviction) that we are to be envisioned as sheep. Then that brings up the question - why sheep? Lions roar with pride, cheetahs sprint, eagles fly majestically, but sheep...i can't think of anything that sheep do except eat and sleep (and follow each other off cliffs).
Sheep can't defend themselves, can't protect themselves, can't find places where there are sufficient food for themselves, can't keep themselves warm...why are we supposed to be sheep? C'mon, sheep are
dumb. They depend on someone else for everything...
I think that last statement very nicely summarizes what we're supposed to be doing. Get this right - we're not supposed to be dumb. We're NOT stupid, or incapable of taking care of ourselves. But we are entirely dependant on God as our Sovereign Lord to provide for us what we need and what's the best for us.
Yet once again i'm reminded that God is a gentleman - He won't barge into your life. He knocks the door and if we choose to answer it, He'll come in. The sheep need to
surrender to the shepherd and trust that he will give what's important.
We as His sheep must surrender to Him to allow Him to work. Yet i know this isn't an easy process...like
becoming a red bean, it will take time and it's tough work.
Was reminded by Jo as well that another reason why the Bible uses sheep as well is because we as true believers are supposed to know the shepherd's voice. You ever notice how most of the time animals listen to their owners but not to strangers? I presume that it's the same with sheep. (Of course, i've never owned a sheep, so i wouldn't know *grin*) They don't just follow any strangers voice, but only the one whom they recognize - in our case, we listen to our Lord's voice. Just as the sheep listen only to the voice of the shepherd, so we are to listen only to our God and not be led astray by the rest of the influences surrounding us, hence the reason why we are "set apart" and that we are to live "in the world but not of the world".
Do you have what it takes to become a sheep?
simply jon.pondered @ 9:48 pm
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