Last night on my running adventure at Veterans park I randomly met a 4-month old sheep named Precious and woman from Kenya! I love sheep, mainly because it reminds me of myself and how much the Good Shepherd loves me.
I learned something about sheep last night from Precious' owner. Sheep aren't all that dumb like people say they are. Sheep are actually very smart and they have a good memory!
People say they're dumb because they just follow their Shepherd blindly and they wander off and fall down a lot. But Erin (the owner) was telling me how smart they actually are. Sheep are very easy to train (easier than dogs), and when she has to go get Precious from the forest on their land it's better for her to follow the sheep on the way back than to lead her because the sheep remembers how they came. Also, Erin said that when she calls for Precious she will come to her.
The sheep learns to listen to the Shepherds voice, and Precious was beginning to recognize her name!
The sheep doesn't blindly follow the Shepherd. The sheep follows its Shepherd because the sheep trusts the Shepherd to take care of them.
The sheeps legs are made in a certain way that when they fall it's hard to get back up. And if a female sheep is pregnant and falls on its back then she can die. The sheep needs help from their Shepherd.
This reminds me of my time in Moldova in 2011 when I saw a Shepherd running to the end of his herd to help the ONE sheep that had fallen. Even though the Sheperd had the rest of the herd still following him, he cared about that one sheep falling behind and he went back for him.
That's why the sheep learned to trust the Shepherd and to listen for their voice. The sheep chooses to follow the Shepherd because the sheep knows the Shepherd cares for the sheep.
We are like sheep. Our actions may look like we're dumb but we are not. We are just wandering sheep that want to go our own way. But when we get ourselves into trouble, whether by falling down, getting caught in a snare, or being prey for a wolf, our Good Shepherd comes to our rescue every time because He cares for us so deeply! And He wants us to learn his voice so we don't wander away next time and to learn to trust Him.
That's why I love sheep. It reminds me the love of my Good Shepherd and to learn to know His voice. 💙🐏
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
John 10:27 ESV
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