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Sheep from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

Sheep are one of the most high-maintenance animals you can raise. It has been said that the very existence of sheep is evidence against the theory of evolution, for there is no way they could have survived on their own. 

Sheep are at the lower end of the intelligence scale and pitifully defenseless. They are both timid and stubborn, frightened by the smallest thing, but at other times, unmovable. They are creatures of habit and will follow a barren path for miles in search of food while walking right past a green meadow. There are accounts of them walking right into an open fire. 

Sheep can become "cast" or "cast down" by lying in a depression in the ground, then as they roll to get a little more comfortable, they can end up with their feet in the air like a turtle on its back. Their center of gravity holds them there, helpless and pawing the air frantically. Unless the shepherd comes and helps them, they die. Have you ever felt stuck like that? We have a lot in common with sheep. 

The shepherd takes care of the helpless sheep and understands their weaknesses. They occasionally wander off and get lost because that's what sheep do. Scripture is rich with allegories about sheep, and they are mentioned over 500 times in the Bible. The Lord's people are often depicted as sheep and He as the Shepherd. David wrote it this way:

(Psalm 23:1–4 NKJV)  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

David grew up as a shepherd and understood the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep. "The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want." That couldn't have been written more beautifully. 

(Matthew 9:35–36 NKJV)  Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

Sheep without a shepherd wouldn't live very long in the wild, for there was no safety or rest without the shepherd to guard them. 

Jesus said, "I am the door of the sheep" (John 10:7). That is such a beautiful image if you understand what He meant. In ancient Israel, sheep spent the night in a cave or sheepfold. They were an enclosure with an opening for the sheep to enter, but there was no gate. When all the sheep were inside, the shepherd would lie down in the doorway so no sheep could go out and no predator could come in without going across him. The shepherd became the door to the sheepfold. The Lord Jesus Christ said He was the Good Shepherd who would lay down His life for the sheep (John 10:11). 

(Luke 15:4–7 NKJV)  “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

When I first became a pastor, the Lord impressed Ezekiel 34 on me repeatedly. Someone sent me the verses in an email one day. I found it timely and interesting, illuminating much I had experienced in the church. A lot of the church-abuse I had seen over the years was listed in those verses. 

So I printed it out and thumbtacked it on the wall beside my desk. When I came in the next morning, it had come loose and was lying in my chair. So I tacked it back up on the board, but the next morning, I found it lying on my desk. I took the hint the Lord wanted me to look at this chapter closer, so I took it apart verse by verse and picked out seven things the Lord wanted from me as a shepherd. 

To summarize the chapter, the Lord was not happy with the shepherds who were supposed to be taking care of His sheep:

(Ezekiel 34:1–3 NKJV)  And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.

(Ezekiel 34:4–6 NKJV)  "The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”

I printed out the verses along with my seven points, called it "My Mission," placed it under a sheet of plexiglass, and made it a permanent part of my desk. These became my main goals at Refreshing Hope: 

My Mission: 

1. Feed the Sheep.

2. Strengthen the Weak.

3. Heal the Sick.

4. Bind up the Injured.

5. Bring back the Strays.

6. Seek the Lost.

7. Lead with Gentleness.

After His resurrection, before Jesus ascended, He told Peter to take care of His sheep three times:

(John 21:15–17 NKJV)  So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep."

The Lord loves His people, and He understands that sheep get confused easily and lost, so He searches for them. He has the heart of a Shepherd. Yet, even when there is no mention of sheep, the Lord seeks His lost people throughout Scripture. After Adam and Eve ate from the tree they shouldn't have in the Garden of Eden, they hid from the Lord, but He came searching for them:

(Genesis 3:8–9 NKJV)  And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

When the prophet, Elijah, had to flee from the murderess Jezebel, the Lord found him hiding in a cave:

(1 Kings 19:9 NKJV)  And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Where are you, My lost sheep? What are you doing in this place? Have I not come to seek you out and restore you to My fold? 

You can pray this with me if you like: 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You so much for searching for me! Please draw my heart to You and speak to me in a way I can understand. The LORD is my Shepherd. I shall not want. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!