Sheep thrive under a shepherd’s care. Without one, they tend to wander and get lost. Predators can easily attack unprotected sheep and the flock is more prone to illness. The shepherd ensures the sheep have adequate food and water, and keeps the flock together. Jesus is our shepherd and we need to let Him lead us, so we can make it safely to our heavenly home.
All Christians should stick together and follow Jesus. When we leave the flock and go off to do our own thing, we open ourselves up to spiritual injury, illness, and death. There are many wolves prowling around the world who seek to devour us and take us away from our shepherd and we need to be careful not to make the wolves’ job easier. Distractions will always come along our journey. The common saying is, the grass is always greener on the other side. However, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and where He is leading us.
Even if a man marries a supermodel, he will encounter many drop-dead gorgeous women in his life. This is one of the world’s distractions. The man can either go off and pursue those beautiful women or stay on the path with his wife and Jesus. We also are presented with the choice to visit Jesus once a week in His house or do whatever we want to do instead. The less we visit Jesus, the more distant we become, and the more strained our relationship becomes. Money, greed, and power are all threats that can take us away from Jesus.
Demons are very real but they pose no big threat to us as long as we stay close to Jesus. Sheep who stray from the shepherd have a chance of getting caught up by the wolves. If we can’t remember the last time we went to confession, it’s a good chance our souls aren’t in the state of grace. When we aren’t in the state of grace, we are left unprotected from the torment of demons. They can tempt us to stray even further and then easily finish us off.
We face many decisions throughout our lives. While doing things our way may seem like the best choice, we’ll ultimately find ourselves separated from our loved ones and separated from God. When we find ourselves in tough times, we may ask God, “Why are you taking me down this path?” Jesus knows the best path to Heaven. We need to trust Him and endure the hard, rocky path sometimes because the path He takes us down is the path that will lead us home.
