“For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’....” (1 Peter 2:25)
I see how my kids are like sheep, these little lambs: prone to wander and stray, struggling to obey. Completely dependent on me to provide for them, to guide them, to lead them and love them. And how I wish I could outgrow being a “sheep” - I’m a mom, after all, in charge of these little humans, and I’m mature, right?! 😂 - but the truth is, I am prone to all the same things. I am stubborn and easily afraid, frequently wandering and losing my way. I am easily distracted and sometimes disobedient. And if I’m honest, a lot of the time I have no idea how to lead these little lambs that have been left in my care.
And Lent finds us here: wandering like sheep gone astray, weary of winter, trying to find meaning between the joy of the Christmas season and the allure of summer fun. And the Good Shepherd doesn’t leave us here, but holds out His hand, offering to lead the way. Through this season of Lent, He reminds us of who we are and who He is and how He wants to shepherd us, if only we will let Him. He wants to show us we can trust Him completely - this Good Shepherd who carries us and cares deeply, who is always with us, who sees us and knows us and loves us.
A Shepherd’s Look at Psalm 23 is this beautiful little book providing a new perspective on the well-known psalm, and it lends us insight into image of us as sheep and God as our Shepherd: “Sheep can, under mismanagement, be the most destructive livestock. In short order they can ruin and ravage land almost beyond remedy. But in bold contrast they can, on the other hand, be the most beneficial of all livestock if properly managed” (119). Author W. Phillip Keller also emphasizes, “Under one man sheep would struggle, starve and suffer endless hardship. In another’s care they would flourish and thrive contentedly” (4).
It is only under the Good Shepherd’s care that we will thrive, not just survive. It is only under His care that we will be healthy and whole, leaving a wake of blessing wherever we go - both as mothers and beyond that as women of God. We must make this conscious choice to come under the leadership of the Good Shepherd, recognizing and receiving His provision and guidance and care that we might be properly fit to feed our own lambs, to shepherd the sheep that He has given us to steward for a season.
In the following weeks, we will take a look at the Good Shepherd throughout Scripture and consider how we can learn from Him, lean into His guidance and lead our children like He leads us. I pray this series will encourage you and point you to Him as we approach the glory of Easter Morning.
“For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25) - these next weeks of Lent, may we return to our Good Shepherd, allowing Him to shepherd us so that we can learn how to best lead our sheep.
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