Sheep, Leadership, and Love

Reading from Mark 6:34 this morning; When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

It reminded me of a conversation I recently had with a friend and the thoughts I came to following this conversation.

If sheep do not have a shepherd they will get lost.

If sheep are not led by their shepherd they will seek another flock.

If sheep do not feel loved by their shepherd they will not trust his care.

If sheep are injured by their shepherd they will bite back.

Reading in my devotions this morning; The sheep were dependent on the shepherd for the opportunity and direction to find food and shelter. Jesus knew that what people needed then, and still need today, are compassionate leaders who will provide selfless direction for the people near them.

Which brings me to this thought for the day; "Am I loving the people that God is placing before me today?"

This includes my wife, my children, my friends, my church, and every stranger that I encounter. Am I love the people that God is placing before me today?

Rest Assured

I was reading Psalm 121 the other day;

"I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:1-4)

Our youngest son is having some major issues sleeping right now, we are not sure if it is all because of his new teeth, because he feels bad, because he has established this as his schedule, or a mix of all three. Either way, my wife bears most of the burden of sitting with him and caring for him in the middle of the night. A couple nights ago, realizing how exhausted (and stressed) she was, I decided to sit up with him beginning at 2:00 a.m. Throughout the night I made various attempts to get him back to sleep and tried multiple "tricks" to make him happy and keep him quiet. Hours later, when the sun rose and the house began to stir, we were still awake, he was happy, I was not.

In the nights to come I have tried to talk my wife into allowing our son to "cry through it", hoping he will learn to put himself back to sleep and hoping that we can achieve a full night of sleep. Needless to say, his mother won't bite on my wonderful idea. She feels that when her son is awake, whether he is in pain, angry, or grumpy, she too needs to be awake and watching over him.

Thinking of Psalm 121, I find great comfort in knowing that God too won't sleep or slumber through our restless nights of pain, anger, or sorrow. The Psalmist continues;

"The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." (Psalm 121:5-8)

 God never sleeps or slumbers, you can rest on that. God always watches and cares for you, you can be assured of that.