Psalm of the Week - 100:3 - July 27, 2015

I grew up on a small farm. I come from several generations of farmers. This means that I know a little bit about livestock. One bit of information that I was given is this:
"Sheep are the dumbest creatures on earth." I never forgot that sheep NEED a shepherd 24-7 in order to survive. In fact, they are incapable of surviving on their own. 

Blogger Tim Challies wrote this except :

"...This is a real news story that aptly tells us the first reason sheep need a shepherd: because sheep are dumb.

Hundreds of sheep followed their leader off a cliff in eastern Turkey, plunging to their deaths this week while shepherds looked on in dismay. Four hundred sheep fell 15 metres to their deaths in a ravine in Van province near Iran but broke the fall of another 1,100 animals who survived. Shepherds from a nearby village neglected the flock while eating breakfast, leaving the sheep to roam free. The loss to local farmers was estimated at $74,000...

 Sheep are dumb and directionless. They are also defenseless...Put a sheep in the wild and you’ve just given nature a snack...Sheep can’t fight, they can’t run away, and they can’t scare away. So what does a sheep do when danger comes? It flocks...sheep are dumb and directionless and defenseless. So I guess when God says that we are sheep who need a shepherd, he doesn’t mean it as a compliment to us. 

I disagree with Tim. I do not believe that God thinks we are dumb, directionless, or defenseless. I believe this verse is emphasizing the relationship that he desires to have with us. He is always there for us, 24/7. When we need him, he is there to pick us up, show us the way, or to protect us. He wants us to know that we belong to him. This ownership meant he is going to give us as much attention as a shepherd gives to a flock of sheep. Why? He loves us.