A Shepherd's Life, volume 4
Sheep always have their eyes on the Shepherd.
One of my favorite passages in the Bible has always been John chapter 10 where Jesus declares that He is the Good Shepherd!
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:14-15 ESV
However, it was not until Lorraine and I started raising sheep that I truly understood the amazing statements that Jesus is making in John 10 about him as the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep.
Jesus also says:
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.
John 10:27-30 ESV
"My sheep hear my voice....and they follow me."
Jesus is describing a characteristic of sheep but he is also saying that this is true of all who know Jesus and believe in him and follow him as true disciples.
Our sheep truly do know Lorraine and my voice.
They respond to us and they know us.
It is interesting when we have farm visits because we always tell visitors about how tame the sheep are and how they love for us to come in and give them back and neck scratchies.
However, when we have visitors with us, who the sheep do not know, they become more skittish and afraid.
They realize that there is someone they don't know and they are very cautious.
Our sheep will run to us whenever we come close to their pen or come in but they hesitate and sometimes even stay away when a stranger is around.
Watching the Sheep
My mom and dad really enjoy watching the sheep from their house.
They tell us often that they always know when we are out and about doing something and even where we are on the farm when we are outside.
All they have to do is watch the sheep.
My parents say that when we are outside, the sheep are constantly watching us.
They know where we are at and keep their eyes on us, constantly moving around to the part of their pen closest to us or where they can watch us the best.
They watch us while we do chores on our side of the farm, then as we start to head over to their side of the farm (for a few minutes when they cannot see us) they listen for us to know that we are coming.
My mom says the sheep will move to the other side of the pen and watch for us to round the corner of the barn.
So, my parents learned that if they ever need to know where we are they just have to watch the sheep.
This should be true of us as sheep in the flock of the Good Shepherd, Jesus.
We should constantly have our eyes fixed on him, listening to his voice and following him.
If the world ever wonders "Where is Jesus?" all they should need to do is watch his sheep to point to him.
Our sheep love us because they know us, they trust us, and they know we are their shepherds and so they follow us.
We know Jesus because we are his, and because we are his we are free to love him and trust him as our shepherd....and follow him.
Jesus is always with us.
He never leaves us or forsakes us (like a hired hand who does not own the sheep would do in times of trouble - John 10:12-13).
His care for us is perfect and good.
-Jeffrey