The God Shepherd

Last Saturday was "sheep day" here at the farm. The ovine activities included tagging and banding the new lambs, examining eyes and gums, and enjoying along with my handsome Farmer the flourishing fold. 

At five weeks old, these lambs are the most prodigious we've had yet. God's grace truly skips and dances beyond measure across this land, even with a threatening weather forecast predicted throughout the week. Dark clouds may swirl and blow around us, however; God's goodness and purpose remain firmly in place. 

Never changing.  

Boy I tell ya though, some of our lambs were worthy of a rodeo event to catch and an armful for me to hold. Still each melted into a wooly puddle on my lap after I snagged them. I make it a point to speak to the flock each day in the field after their births to familiarize the little ones with the sound of my voice. They were a joy to bear, and the fragrance of their musky fleeces is similar in nature to the sweet, innocent aroma of baby's breath.  

By journey's end I was tired and sore, but it was a good tired and sore. Farm bruises and wounds manifest more in the form of a victory wreath than a heating pad or ice pack when you know you put in a productive day's work and your body held out because of the sheer grace of God.

As I looked out over the flock Saturday morning, in the midst of the wooly assemblage of baaing and leaping, believe it or not, there existed a method in the mayhem and madness. 

#4 Princess and her triplets are first in the line-up. Why is this? Because she is the loudest, the most social with me, and the one most likely to be annoying when I'm engaged in an arduous task. Other than the Farmer, I don't need an assistant. All three of her offspring are ewes so no banding was required. We quickly gave her and her lambs a "once-over," pierce their little ears and then promptly usher them out the gate and into the upper pasture with the dogs. 

No, the dogs are not a part of this maintenance process either. Like I've said before, my sheep have not quite figured out the dogs are the reason they are all alive and breathing, and so they get stressed if the dogs are too close for comfort. 

How many times do I stop and realize during my busy day that God is the reason I'm living and breathing? 

Even if the sheep get out of their area, the dogs will remain with them. Great Pyrenees are not working herd dogs, only loyal guardians, so wherever the sheep go or whatever mischief they get into the dogs just stay with them in the midst of it. In other words, they guard them being dumb. The sheep's erratic behavior isn't the dog's problem. It's mine. 

How many times have my guardian angels guarded me being dumb? 

Next is Ariel and her twins because she's the leader of the pack, and when the other sheep see her go through the procedure and live to tell about it, they seem to calm down a bit. 

After this we start on the most stressed sheep and work our way through the entire flock, releasing them after each assessment and procedure into the wide, open acres above us and into the familiar. 

I doubt you'll ever discover this approach in a shepherd's handbook, but it works well for our little flock. 

Often times when I'm working with sheep I am reminded of the Scriptures where Jesus is talking about his flock and his sheep. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "It isn't always a spiritual complement to be compared with sheep." 

When The Book of Hebrews says, "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever," it is referring to his immutability, meaning Jesus is unchangeable in his mind, will, and nature. ( Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8, Numbers 23:19, James 1:17 ) 

But Jesus does change in his ministry work toward us as individuals. And this is a beautiful thing. In the Scriptures, Jesus didn't heal everyone the same way, and he didn't respond to everyone in the same way. Because he knows us so intimately as his, he knows exactly what we need in every circumstance we face. 

He changes and transforms our sinful natures through the power of the Holy Spirit without changing his perfect divine nature. 

When Lazarus died in John 11, both of his sisters, Mary and Martha, grieved terribly for their brother, and yet, Jesus responded to each of them completely different in their grief. He knew perfectly what each sister needed to hear and to see. Unlike us. But he's working on us. If we will have the courage and obedience to relax in his arms. 

How many times do I kick and scream in the midst of a situation or circumstance I clearly can't change, one that God has allowed to be there as he has permitted all things in his sovereign direction of my life since I am his daughter, his little lamb, as it were. 

The Scriptures tells us in John 10 that the gatekeeper opens the door to Jesus and Jesus calls each one of his sheep by name and leads them out. He goes before them and the sheep follow Jesus because they know his voice. We his sheep go in and out and find pasture in the abundant life he gives us through his own life and atoning death, free from the bondage of sin. 

We are "tagged" as his. 

We have a personal Savior who comforts us and counsels us with the exact balm applied to our wounds not a minute too late. There is no "standard operation procedure" in how Jesus cares for his individual sheep and every little flock. 

In Revelation, we see that Jesus wrote letters to the seven churches of Asia dealing with each one again in a very specific way. The churches were facing their own unique issues, some deep in sin, and he deals with each church accordingly, commanding and encouraging them with different messages precisely for each. 

As we see in the above passages in Revelation, Jesus doesn't always remove the dangers or the thorns and thistles, but enables us instead by his strength to move forward and push through the thick underbrush of entangling, painful life experience for his glory and his trustworthiness, his love and faithfulness. That never change. 

How does this truth enable me to live out my days in courage, hope, and comfort? Knowing nothing is wasted or arbitrary that I experience, but filtered through the fingers of the God of the Universe who loves me beyond anything I can remotely comprehend? 

We can trust that no matter how chaotic and varied the days can be, no matter what we are allowed to endure, there is a method in the seemingly madness of it all and a perfect, unchanging purpose underlying every day and every moment of our lives:  

And his name is Jesus. 

The Good Shepherd of his Sheep. 💜

Our Best Life Now

"How and why did God create us?" 

This is "Question 4" in The New City Catechism. 

"Catechism? That sounds like a dusty, old book on Dumbledore's shelf at Hogwarts." Actually, yes, catechisms have been around for centuries. Even though, sadly, they have fallen out of use, catechisms are a wonderful learning tool to teach children sound doctrine. ( And adults. ) The longer I live the more I realize that "old school" seems to never graduate and go out of session, especially when it stresses education of the Scriptures. 

Answer: "God created us male and female in his own image to know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory." 

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27

I''m going to skip over "Question 5" which asks, "What else did God create?" Simply because I've blogged plenty about God's creation and all of its many adventures and wonders here at the farm. 

Okay, so in case you've been struggling with wondering why you exist, and the flimsy answers the world provides are failing to satisfy the longing and ache inside of your heart, we see our purpose in existing is for the glory of God. But how do we glorify him? "Question 6" asks this question. 

Answer: "We glorify God by enjoying him, loving, him. and by obeying his will, commands, and law. 

"You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statues, his rules, and his commandments always." Deuteronomy 11:1 

Richard Sibbes says, "True freedom is found when by the Spirit the heart is renewed, is enlarged, and becomes subordinate to God in Christ.....for the God of all grace sets it at liberty." 

Many people will not entertain the thought of God not only existing, but also being a personal God, because if an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving, sovereign God did, in fact, create the universe and everything in it, then that God would make the rules and govern it all, and they do not want to obey his rules. They want to live life on their own terms. Many atheist agree on this. At least they are honest. 

Here's my question: "If it is true, that a benevolent, sovereign God does exist, wouldn't he alone know the best way to do things? The best way to behave, as it were? The way that leads to our flourishing?" 

The more I walk with God each day, the more I am astounded at 1 John 5:3 that states: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." 

Although we continue to battle sin in this life, obeying God's commandments are possible and pleasurable when the Holy Spirit regenerates our hearts at the moment of conversion. They've led me into a deeper love and relationship with Jesus. It's hard to explain the grace and satisfaction that flow into your soul unless you are walking with him. 

I guess the Christian faith is like a reversal of sorts: "Believe and then you will see." At least that's the way I would describe what happened to me. In C.S. Lewis's words, I was "surprised by joy." As long as we remain in unbelief, we won't understand and enjoy this beautiful, glorious truth. 

"So many times people think they're glorifying God because they're just kind of bowing their necks and doing the awful thing they hate because otherwise God is going to hurt them. Or sometimes they do the things that they think God wants so that he'll give them more good stuff. But both those kinds of sanctified selfishness - I'm doing this so I will protect myself or promote myself - are not really love for God."

"When we understand that God gave his Son for me, that he's shown me his character and care, then I understand that loving him and enjoying him means that I will delight to walk in that which provides the good and safe path for my life."

"I'll walk with him and love him in all that he requires, because in doing so, I will actually enjoy the path that he has designed for the best life that he desires to give me." Bryan Chapell 

This, my friends, is the true and living best life now and forever more. 💜

Today I would like to recommend The New City Catechism Devotional; God's Truth for Our Hearts and Minds. I recently heard Sinclair Ferguson say that after a Bible, commentary, and concordance, the next book a Christian should own is a hymnal. Although I would not disagree with Dr. Ferguson on that list, I would just add to it a catechism. 😊

A Closer Walk

This may seem like a funny thing to blog about, but since I've had a farm one thing I think about from time to time as I'm working is how animators and movie makers from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ( I've watched that with my grandchildren in case you're wondering ) to live action films generate so precisely the habits of animals. 

Cartoon animators must have watched the behavior and characteristics of ducks for hours on end before they sat behind their computers to create because all of Donald and Daffy's movements are spot on, right down to the cloddish flapping of the wings when they chase each other to that cute little twitching of the tail. 

One example in particular is Mr Tumnus the faun from The Chronicles of Narnia movie. Whoever designed Mr. Tumnus's goat legs and instructed him how to move in those things must have clocked in some works hours on a farm observing the hind parts of goats. Even the sound engineers nailed that 'click' of the hoof perfectly that goats make as they clip-clop through the barnyard. I love watching Mr. Tumnus walk. 

I know, isn't it amusing what people find fascinating? 

The one that really gets me though is in another live action movie called "Babe." The scene captures Fly's motherhood emotions so intently and tenderly. Fly is the sheep livestock dog. The Farmer ( in the movie ) sells all of Fly's sheep herding puppies, and afterward she proceeds slowly and grievingly to her shelter to lie down and mourn their absence. Babe the pig comes to comfort Fly in her distress. I never get through that scene with a dry eye. 

"By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he ( Jesus ) walked." 1 John 2:4b

We should be walking in the same way that Jesus walks. This is a proof of our salvation. 

How do we know how Jesus walks? By reading his Word. If we are not in the Word of God daily, studying it deeply and meditating upon it, taking it into our hearts, how can we know what Jesus walks like? 

How can we be so precise in our depiction of his character and demeanor, of his compassion for others? How can we display grace to the sinner and speak the truth in love to our neighbor if we aren't even versed in the truth ourselves? How can we have an answer ready? How can it transform us if it's never in us?  

To watch the Word is to watch Jesus and see how he walks. Anything other than deep study of the Scriptures is just guess work. And by looking around, it appears the church in general is involved in a lot of guessing games these days and needs to rediscover the Bible. Again. 

I want to recommend an easy to understand, short Bible study book for lay people that has helped me to better study the Word and also remind me of the importance of meditating and memorization: "How to Eat Your Bible - A Simple Approach to Learning and Loving the Word of God." By Nate Pickowics It is encouraging and also helpful in explaining in layman's terms theological words like "exegesis and hermeneutics." "What?" Lol, just read it. 

Because if it waddles like a duck..... 

Happy Weekend! 

💜 

I'll have the Veggie Plate

I think I started blogging about false teaching, mainly the prosperity gospel, because I had been working on my spiritual testimony and the paragraphs took a turn down memory lane. Not a bad one; I believe looking back can actually help us move forward with more wisdom and discernment. The Farmer nudges me with this truth when I agonize over regrets. "God uses it all," he encourages, "all for his purposes, for his glory to be put on display in your life. Now go be salt and light and stop whining." 

I'm trying. 

We have to understand the bad news of the Gospel before we are overwhelmed with the good, so in the same way, I think looking back into our past and even our past sins, not beating ourselves up, reminds us of the grace of God poured out lavishly upon our lives. How do we appreciate and bow before God in his rich love, grace, and mercy toward us if we never remember the past, what we've been delivered from? It beckons of God commanding the Israelites to always remember and celebrate the Passover in the Old Testament. Our joy is then made full as we come to the table and partake in the sacrament of the Lord's supper. 

The prosperity gospel is an ugly outcrop from Pentecostalism developing largely in 20th century America, not that everyone who identifies as Pentecostal believes the message or vice versa. We all have bits and pieces of the prosperity gospel in our hearts that need to be continually called out. For instance when something good happens we have a tendency to say, "What did I do good to deserve this?" or when something bad happens, "What did I do wrong to make this happen?" Our fallen human nature is speaking to us, and we are commanded to fervently fight against this mind-set in the New Testament. We're not unlike Job's friends. Life is more nuanced than this and can't be reduced to formulas and fairytales. 

Sometimes we do cause our own suffering, but not always. 

Although the prosperity gospel is not just about obtaining wealth, but health, success, favor, and blessing, all things which we have freely been given in the life and death of Jesus Christ already when we believe in him, I think this entry from my devotional a few days ago speaks into the wealth part of that "other gospel" quite well. 

God isn't against his children having things - He's against things having his children. I was always quick to defend myself that the things of this world did not have me in its gnarly grip, that I was handling it all just dandy. But God alone knows what is truly lurking inside the human heart. He made it. He is jealous over it. 

The prosperity gospel forgets, or worse, never realizes, the main thing: the true Gospel, the self-sacrificing love of Jesus Christ, instead it centers selfishly on "me" - my dreams, my purpose, my goals, my wealth, health, and success. We become unsuspecting and self-deceived. The enemy knows it doesn't take much to hook the empty soul nibbling at this tempting bait. He caught me in his devilish snare with perfect ease. But Praise God, Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will help us untangle the knotted mess with the true Gospel and release us from it's delusions and darkness. ( John 16, Philippians 2:13, Romans 12:2,  Acts 1:8 )

Here's what the Kellers had to say: 

"'Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil. Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.' Proverbs 15:16-17 

The fattened calf was valuable ( 1 Kings 4:23 ) and a sign of celebration ( Luke 15:23 ). But when love is life's main dish, it doesn't matter if the rest of the meal is just a bit of vegetables.... The greed that can pay for the richest food will still starve the human soul of that which it most hungers, because greed is self-serving and the opposite of self-giving love. These texts correct simplistic views that see wealth as always a sign of God's favor and hard work. That is how Job's friends read things. Even Jesus' disciples were shocked by his teaching that wealth could be a hinderance to spiritual growth and salvation, not a help ( Luke 18:25-27 ). Yet this text is not so much about the problem of wealth as the greatness of love. 'In a broken world where injustice and the absurd can prevail...... faith ( represented here by 'love' and 'the fear of the LORD' ) can transform a meal of vegetables into a continual feast. ( 15:15 ).'" 

John tells us in his first letter that love will be one of the proofs of our salvation. The display of love for God and for people, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ, will be the evidence that we believe the true Gospel. As we see so often, too often, in our world riches and great wealth bring even more emptiness and striving to the human soul while God's love satisfies in every situation and circumstance. Are we feeding on his Word and trusting in his love to fill us?    

Happy Feasting and Happy Wednesday! 

( God's Wisdom for Navigating Life, A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs, June 5, Tim and Kathy Keller ) 

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