I hit a milestone. I turned 50 years old. I am thankful that I don't feel 50. I am thankful for things God has taught me throughout those 50 years. . I have learned that God loves mercy and when I feel a sense that justice needs to happen over mercy, all I need to do is remember that I am thankful for when God gives me mercy instead of a just punishment. (Micah 6:8 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.) ( Luke 6: 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. ) I have learned that hurt people end up hurting people. When I am able to see that I didn't hurt them but I am bearing the results of that persons hurt inflicted by other people, it helps me forgive whatever hurt they pushed onto me and move on. (Romans 12 : 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ) I have learned that anyone who thinks they have God
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Shearing us..because He Loves us...
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Did you know that
sheep must be sheared for its own good? Why? They are easily cast down when they
have MUCK all tangled in their fleece, weighing them down. Why is this a
problem? If a sheep is cast down, a
sheep can not get up on its
own.If they fall down..become
“cast down”, they must have a shepherd to lift them up or they will die.
' Cast down' sheep is an old
English shepherd's term for a sheep that has turned over on its back and cannot
get up again by itself. A 'cast' sheep is a very pathetic sight. Lying on its
back, its feet in the air, it flays away frantically struggling to stand up,
without success. And guess what? A sheep can not help another sheep get up.
..they must have a shepherd to help them up. (just like I can’t heal you or help
you, but I can take you to Jesus, the good shepherd who can). So what is the
remedy to keep from being cast down ? A good sheering...
(We don’t like when “bad” things (our sheering) happen
to us, but we must trust that it is for our own good).
Whenever a shepherd finds that a sheep is cast down because its fleece is too long and heavy from dirt, burrs, sticks, etc.., he soon takes swift steps to remedy the situation.
In short order he would shear it clean, not an enjoyable process for either of them. Sheep do not really enjoy being sheared and it represents some hard work for the shepherd, but it must be done
. Actually when it is all over, both sheep and shepherd are relieved. There is no longer the threat of being cast down. And...for the sheep, there is the pleasure of being set free from a hot, heavy coat that was cumbersome, uncomfortable, and down right dangerous. The fleece is clogged with filthy manure, mud, burrs, sticks and ticks. What a relief to be rid of it all! Thank goodness that God shears us of our muck (sin) and isn’t willing to letting us hold on to our sin habits. Even though the sanctification process can be painful, the end product feels so good. We feel lighter , happier, and oh so more free....because he has freed us from a specific sin habit or sinful thoughts. Welcome the times of "shearing"..because you KNOW that He loves you. It is amazing that Christ looks at us, dirty, stinky, stubborn, stupid sheep, and takes pity on us. More than pity... he loves us. It so reminds me of David Crowder's song. "How He loves us"
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than
snow. Psalm 51:7
The lyrics say: He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy. When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, And I realise just how beautiful You are, And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us so, Oh how He loves us, How He loves us all
Sometimes because of His great love.. the weight of His love can feel like a hurricane while we are the tree... "bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.". Why does the shepherd shear the sheep? Not because the shepherd needs it..but because the shepherd knows that the sheep needs it. It is out of love that the shepherd sees how beautiful the sheep will be.. he knows. He knows what the sheep need ..even as the sheep fight the weight of the good shepherd. ..while the shepherd is trying to help the stubborn sheep. Why doesn't the shepherd just give up? Why fight with this stubborn, dirty, creature? That is His unrelenting love and mercy towards us. .. Praise His name!
Isn't it just amazing how God has illustrations in basic life events that can represent spiritual things? Incredible! Thanks for sharing. I plan to show my kids this blog later. :)
Before you jump to the conclusion that I am saying Christian are "brainless" sheep, read this post completely. If you still aren't sure, read this post: Are Christians brainless? Why does He call us SHEEP? ( The Bible makes reference to sheep no less than 220 times). A few of the more notable passages that come to mind are the 23 rd Psalm, Isa. 53:6 and John 10. There are many references to His People being sheep. So why not something more powerful, like a ram or horse? Why not something more graceful and valued, like a prized bird? Well, God chose to use the word sheep to identify His followers, as we are "His sheep." Our shepherd, Jesus, is leading the way, so let's look at the facts about sheep-the nature of sheep. Let's look at the facts about sheep- *Sheep aren’t intelligent . Sheep are not known to be smart or cunning animals when it comes to safety; rather, they are susceptible and tend to wander away from the prote
I hit a milestone. I turned 50 years old. I am thankful that I don't feel 50. I am thankful for things God has taught me throughout those 50 years. . I have learned that God loves mercy and when I feel a sense that justice needs to happen over mercy, all I need to do is remember that I am thankful for when God gives me mercy instead of a just punishment. (Micah 6:8 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.) ( Luke 6: 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. ) I have learned that hurt people end up hurting people. When I am able to see that I didn't hurt them but I am bearing the results of that persons hurt inflicted by other people, it helps me forgive whatever hurt they pushed onto me and move on. (Romans 12 : 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ) I have learned that anyone who thinks they have God
The Fellowship of the Believers (Acts 2) 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. How cool! God shows us in Acts the need for the church to devote itself to “fellowship.” What do you think about when you hear the word fellowship? If you are a good old Baptist, you probably think of food. :) We expect the church to ’ teaching” and “to prayer”... but we have to equally expect fellowship. Notic
Isn't it just amazing how God has illustrations in basic life events that can represent spiritual things? Incredible! Thanks for sharing. I plan to show my kids this blog later. :)
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