Adventcalendar: Dec. 13th - Sheep

Dec. 13th - Sheep - Isaiah 53:6

"All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him."

---

I'm sure somewhere in a sermon or Bible lesson you may have heard how "dumb" sheep are, but it isn't their intelligence that lacks, it's more of their stubbornness for in-dependence that is strong. Even at birth they are able to stand very quickly on their own.

I believe this may be why God refers to us as sheep in the verse above.  Our human nature and pride cause us to strive for independence - doing things our own way. When we think we know better than God and choose what we want instead of obeying Him, the Bible calls this sin.  It says we have ALL done this. (Romans 3:10,23)

The focus of the verse is not really on the stubborn sheep though, it is on the Good Shepherd that stands in the gap protecting the sheep. That is what Jesus did.

Here are a few more interesting facts about sheep:

1. Sheep have poor eyesight but they do have a keen sense of hearing.

The Bible refers to us as blind before knowing Jesus as our shepherd.  Jesus does say however we will hear and know His voice.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand."  John 10:27-28

Today take time to listen and hear the voice of Jesus calling and leading.  The circumstances we see around us in this world with our human eyes can cause confusion and fear, but if we will shut our eyes to the world and allow Jesus to open the eyes of our heart and hear His voice, we will be found and be safe.  (Ephesians 1:18-19)

2. Sheep are timid and nervous by nature and for a very good reason - they are pretty much defenseless against predators.

So many times we think of God's Word as a bunch of do's and don'ts to spoil our "fun".  God is our Good Shepherd wanting to protect us like a parent; He desires to be our Heavenly Father and protect us from evil and our own lost way.  A good parent doesn't tell their child to not touch the burner on the stove to steal their fun, but because they know it will harm them.  God's Word gives us truth to protect and lead us to God's best for us.

I love the lyrics of the old hymn - "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."  There is such truth to that!  When we trust God (become dependent upon Him), there is such freedom found in which we can safely live.

Satan wants us to think that independence and separation from God is freedom, when actually it is the exact opposite.  When we know the boundaries in which we are safe, there is complete freedom.

3. Sheep like to be in a group and have a knack of huddling together and wherever one goes, others follow.

Isn't this true of our human nature too?  We tend to follow the crowd.  We want to be a part and belong, but following the wrong crowd can be dangerous.

God has provided a place for us in His family - the Church.   It is our choice of where and with whom we "huddle" and follow.  Joy, peace, purpose, grace, mercy, and all of God's other riches are found only when we follow the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.  In Him, there is freedom and safety.

So today as we see sheep in manger scenes or Christmas cards, let them remind us of this Christmas devotion and our Good Shepherd Who - "has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him."

 Hentet fra:

https://www.creativebiblestudy.com/Christmas-devotion-countdown.html