The Lord is our Shepherd

Originally Posted - April 19, 2011

A profound realization hit home this weekend as life on the farm taught us a hard lesson. I’m going to spare you the details and summarize by explaining that my husband and I have wanted fainting goats for over a year now…even before we found and bought our land we began talking about them. Our two little bucks were born in January and we had a deposit down to hold them for us — then a 6 hr road trip to pick them up etc. So — suffice it to say these were very important goats! We got to enjoy them for just one week, and then unfortunately on Saturday we let them out of their pen to romp and play with our miniature horse, and the temptation was too great for our dogs. We have 2 large dogs with hunting instinct and they’ve never been around livestock. My husband was watching very closely and the goats were keeping a safe distance. I was sent inside to look for some things and in an instant…with his back turned…my husband missed one of the goats as it ran boldly into the dog’s area and in only a flash our 2 dogs had the goat between them. Neither of us could get there in time to stop it and the dogs could not fight their instincts, despite our yelling at them. Sadly our new baby goat had to be put down. We do still have 1 goat but oh how angry I was at our dogs, at us, at myself for taking too long inside. But…the loss of our goat is not the point.

A couple hours later — still the thought of it made me tear up and I would get angry again — I couldn’t even look at our dogs. My husband and I love dogs — but I really wanted to put our dogs down with the goat that afternoon. BUT — what I realized is how much I loved that little goat after only 1 week with him! I was supposed to be his shepherd, his guardian — he depended on me to feed him and would come eat out of my hand. He trusted me. And while it was too late by the time I reached the scene, I would have thrown myself between the goat and the dogs in an instant to try and save him. 

I began to mull this over putting myself (or us as believers) in place of the goat, and Christ as our Shepherd. How much MORE is His love for us than mine for a little goat!? And as we approach Easter — I’m extra mindful of the sacrifice He made so that we could have life, and have it abundantly….so that we could receive the gift of eternity in Heaven!!!

The difference between what happened to us this weekend on the farm is that my husband and I had both turned away. I had even left my goat and gone inside. God doesn’t do that! He never leaves us…never turns away. As I think about Saturday and our little goat crying for help I think of my own cries to God. The times I am broken and hurting…crying out to him. Not only did He sacrifice His own son to save us — He never leaves us unattended — and He longs to comfort the cries of our hearts, to take our burdens upon Himself, lift our worries, and set us free.

This will not be the only sad thing to happen on our little farm — we’ve learned from this — but there will be more accidents. However, I’ll now choose to revel in the beauty of what it means to be His sheep and know that He is my shepherd…the GREAT Shepherd.

Take time today to reflect on these verses, and the truth, comfort, and peace they offer.
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.”
1 Peter 5:4 “Then when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that never fades away.”
Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like ashepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom,…

When I think of myself as the goat crying for help and this last verse in Isaiah…I picture the Lord scooping me up in His arms and carrying me in his bosom…protecting me, caring for me, loving me, etc. Ah…that brings me great peace and I hope it does you too!