As he begins the next chapter called “He Guides Me In the Paths of Righteousness For His Name Sake,” Mr Keller gives a vivid picture of the total devastation that is possible when sheep are “…left to the whims of their own destructive habits.” (p85) He warns, “If left to themselves, they will follow the same trails until they become ruts; graze the same hills until they turn to desert wastes; pollute their own ground until it is corrupt with disease and parasites.” (p83) In other words, like you and me, sheep are a hot mess without the proper management. Not only do they destroy the land they consume, but they give their shepherd a bad name as well. Mr Keller states, “The intelligent shepherd is aware of all this. Not only just for the welfare of his sheep and the health of his land, but also for his own sake and reputation as a rancher, he must take the necessary precautions to safeguard against these adverse animal traits.” (p85) The best way the Shepard can keep his flock from causing all this havoc is to keep them moving from one pasture to the next. This requires a predetermined plan that the shepherd must have in play so his flock and land can be as healthy as possible. Wow, I do hope you are seeing all the deep symbolism here
We too are creatures of habit. When these habits are godly, leading to good health in every area of life, that is a great thing. Ahhh, but when those habits are neither godly nor good…the truth is, the human heart apart from Christ is set on self-destruction. We either learn to do wrong and harmful things, or we overdo “good” things to the point that they too become damaging. Mr Keller reminds us what the Bible says about our tendencies to follow our own way. (see Isa 53:6) Then he says, “And this we do deliberately, repeatedly, even to our own disadvantage. There is something almost terrifying about the destructive self-determination of a human being. It is inexorably interlocked with personal pride and self-assertion. We insist we know what is best for us even though the disastrous results may be self-evident.” (p88) In other words, we are stubborn, stiff-necked sheep who live life based on MMI mentality. And this is not only bad for us, but disrespectful to our Good Shepherd. We need the Good Shepherd with His good plan to keep us moving away from the destructive Pride and towards the healthy humility that will prompt us to follow Him.
2023’s Got A Minute? Book Club
January: The First & Best Book Ever: The Bible
February: Love Is In the Air: “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts” by Gary Chapman
March: Spring Growth: “Secrets of the Vine” by Bruce Wilkinson
April: Living the Resurrected Life: “The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life” by Dr Charles Stanley
May: My Spiritual Mom: “Making Good Habits Breaking Bad Habits” by Joyce Meyer
June: Spiritual Dad: “It’s Not About Me- Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy” by Max Lucado
July: Financial Freedom “Complete Guide to Money” by Dave Ramsey
August: Summer’s Soul Restorer “A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23” by W Phillip Keller
<>< Peace, Diane
