On Sheep
Jesus Christ is called The Great Shepherd; He calls us His sheep. On one of my shelves in my study is a little book bearing the title, "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23." The author, Phillip Keller, was a sheep rancher and has many insights to share about sheep. One that he shares is this:
"Sheep require more attention than any other livestock. They just can't take care of themselves. Unless their shepherd makes them move on, sheep will actually ruin a pasture, eating every blade of grass, until finally a fertile pasture is nothing but barren soil. Sheep are near-sighted and very stubborn, but easily frightened. An entire flock can be stampeded by a jack rabbit. They have little means of defense. They're timid, feeble creatures. Their only recourse is to run if no shepherd is there to protect them. Sheep have no homing instincts. A dog, horse, cat, or a bird can find its way home, but when a sheep gets lost, it's a goner unless someone rescues it. So the over-riding principle of Psalm 23 is that sheep can't make it without a shepherd."