Meditate. Are you ever like a lost
sheep?
ת [Taw] O LORD, listen to my
cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. Listen to my prayer; rescue me
as you promised. Let praise flow from my lips, for you have taught me your
decrees. Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right.
Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments. O LORD,
I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight. Let me
live so I can praise you, and may your regulations help me. I have wandered
away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your
commands. Psalm 119:169-176
I have wandered away like a
lost sheep; come and find me…. Ezra is pleading with the Lord. Do you sometimes
feel like a lost sheep, too? More is written by the prophet Ezekiel about lost
sheep, the Israelites, God’s chosen people. God will care for His sheep.
As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, you
abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And
though you were my shepherds, you didn't search for my sheep when they were
lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve. Therefore, you
shepherds, hear the word of the LORD. ... "For this is what the Sovereign
LORD says: I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd
looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all
the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will bring
them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations.
I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the
places where people live. Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high
hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the
lush pastures of the hills. I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place
to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign LORD. Ezekiel 34:8-9, 11-15
Sheep in Israel
The Israelites are compared with
sheep in the prophesies from God through Jeremiah.
"My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have
led them astray and turned them loose in the mountains. They have lost their
way and can't remember how to get back to the sheepfold. ... "The
Israelites are like sheep that have been scattered by lions. First the king of
Assyria ate them up. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their
bones." Jeremiah 50:6, 17
God is pictured as the great
shepherd in the well known Psalm 23.
The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He
lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews
my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even
when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close
beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast
for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with
oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love
will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the
LORD forever. Psalm 23:1-6 (Underlined for emphasis.)
Remember the parable that Jesus
told about a lost sheep and the importance of that one sheep to the shepherd. God
sees each of us as that one sheep…at some point in our lives. He doesn’t want
anyone to perish.
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away,
what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out
to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth,
he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn't wander away!
In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father's will that even one of these
little ones should perish. Matthew 18:12-14
Are you ever like that lost sheep? Do you need God to find you? Call out to Him. If you seek Him, you will find Him.
Prayer ~ Lord, I am seeking You, while I can find You. I’m calling on You now while You are near. From Isaiah 55:6. You are my shepherd…I am following You. Lead in Your way…everlasting. Thank You. I praise You.
Verses of Salvation ~ The LORD
is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my
heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. The LORD gives
his people strength. He is a safe fortress for his anointed king. Save your
people! Bless Israel, your special possession. Lead them like a shepherd, and
carry them in your arms forever. Psalm 28:7-9
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