Watchman: Daily Devotional, Sheep Need a Shepherd. They Cannot Survive on Their Own. They Need Someone to Guide Them to Pasture, Water, and to Protect Them From Predators
Daily Devotional:
Matthew 18:12-14 (NIV) 12" What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
We frequently divorce this parable from children. Jesus was preaching about how valuable children are to God. He was giving an illustration that everyone in the audience understood. Sheep require a shepherd. They are unable to survive on their own. They require someone to lead them to pasture and water, as well as to protect them from predators.
One sheep walks off in this parable. This is fairly common. Though sheep tend to gather for protection, others are autonomous and prefer to roam. They risk falling into an impassable cliff or being eaten by predators.
The shepherd will abandon the flock, putting the flock in danger, in order to find that one lost sheep. When he finds it, it is frequently weak due to a lack of pasture and water. Usually, he has to carry it back. Still, he is overjoyed that the sheep has been found. We sometimes question if children, both physical and spiritual, who are independent thinkers are worth the effort. Jesus is implying that they are. The one who can assist them in returning to the fold is happier about it than the others who did not stray.
Those sheep will occasionally wander away. The shepherd in Jesus' day had only one option: break the sheep's leg. That meant he'd have to carry it for the next six weeks while hand-feeding it. After the sheep is healed, it will never leave the shepherd's side again. Strict discipline requires a lot of effort from the shepherd, but it is worth it to save the sheep.
Consider this: The Father does not want anybody to perish, not even the most disobedient.
The Great Tribulation
It is our belief that the Great Tribulation referred to in the New Testament Book of Revelation (chapters 6-11) is unfolding before our eyes. In the near future, we will devote the "Tribulation" tab on our "Trending" menu to this emerging reality. As people continue to unplug from mainstream media, our commitment is to present the truth and encourage our audience to understand current events from a Biblical perspective. Click here to begin the journey.
The Watchman
In the Bible, the Watchman is responsible for keeping watch and warning others of potential danger or impending judgment. The role is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, particularly in the book of Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 33:6, God says to the prophet Ezekiel, "But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand." Click here to begin the journey.
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