When Sheep Go Astray

When Sheep Go Astray

Sometime around 4 years ago, This October 2015, God used what I was going through to give me a big wake up call! Thanks to the Great Shepherd for seeking His lost sheep and helping to restore me. If you have gone astray remember The Great Shepherd, Jesus leaves the flock to seek you. He loves you that much!

When Sheep Go Astray they can get lost easily. They will gain more and more wool and it will weigh them down. Just like a similar sheep in this picture who gained around 90 lbs of wool that had to be sheered when he was found.

We as Christians do the same thing, we go astray from God’s Will. We often call this a Backslidden Christian. We will often wonder from our flock and easily get lost and into the world just like the lost sheep. We will get into things like sin and the sin will weigh us down.

The good news is the Good Shepherd will leave the flock to search for the one lost sheep. Remember none is seeking God (Romans 3:11), God is seeking us.

Check out the story of the Good Shepherd in John 10:11-18

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. ¹² But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. ¹³ The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. ¹⁵ As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

There is no greater love than one that lies down their life for another (John 15:13). Jesus Christ. Not only will the Good Shepherd be wiling to risk his own life for the sheep. He will go seeking the one lost sheep. He knows the lost sheep is helpless on its own. It knows it cannot do anything without the shepherd. Just like us we cannot do it on our own, but we need the strength of God. (Philippians 4:13)

He will make sure you are protected by the wolf. The wolf here is the devil. The Wolf can come as a wolf in sheep clothing, being a false teacher to make you think he is the one.

It also goes on to say that the sheep knows the voice of the shepherd. This is a good reason to stay in the Word of God too so you will know the voice of God. Plus, God knows each and every one of His sheep by name. He cares and loves these sheep.

But that one that goes astray, the Good Shepherd will go and seek that lost one. When he does, he will treat it if it has wounds. It it cannot walk, the Good Shepherd will carry it back to the flock. He will take care of and tend back to it.

Christ does the same to us. He will tend to us. He will treat us and heal us. If we gained 90 lbs of sin (wool). He will sheer us and get that off us. This sheering is a way of correcting us and also to show our sins are forgiven.

When you go astray from God, He will seek after you. We are the ones that turn away from Him. that get away from the flock you can say. God cares for us and doesn’t want us to stay in that condition or lost. He knows that the devouring wolves are seeking us. He wants to come get us and restore us.

The old saying is so true, “I once was lost but now I am found!”

I am glad to have Jesus Christ as my Good Shepherd.

About the Author

Steve Patterson

A Christian Blogger that enjoys blogging about the Bible, Theology, God, Jesus Christ, Christian Music, Family, Cats, Odd Holidays, sewing and much more. I have been blogging since 2004, however, I have been blogging on Courageous Christian Father since 2012. I enjoy listening to Christian Music. I am married with 1 daughter, 2 step-sons and a step daughter.

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