Sheep Without a Shepherd

If I’ve seen it once, I’ve seen it a hundred times. Well, actually a whole lot more than that unfortunately. God’s dear people are sheep without shepherds. I couldn’t count the times that I’ve seen precious souls in the body of Christ who could have been helped, who could have averted negative life changing experiences, who could have been delivered out of the grip of Satan’s filthy hands, who could have come to know true liberty and joy in the Lord; but could not recognize the hand of God that was outstretched to them. You think you know real sadness? To see precious sheep try to fight off a hungry wolfpack, with absolutely no capacity to do so, to be already conditioned to turn away from the true help and deliverance that the Chief Shepherd sends their way, and to see the spiritual carnage that ensues; that my friend is REAL sadness. You want to know who is by and large shepherding God’s dear sheep? “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered” (Ezek. 34:1-5). "Oh, that was the OLD testament,“ someone will undoubtedly say. "Things aren’t that way now.” You think those souls that were scattered understood that they were scattered because they didn’t have shepherds? Of course not.

That passage of scripture was from the mind of God. The trouble was, these sheep were scattered and preyed upon because they thought that these ‘shepherds’ who were receiving this harsh rebuke from God, WERE their shepherds! They would not have been taken advantage of if they had KNOWN that these shepherds were false. And as I often say, maybe you think that history doesn’t repeat itself, or that God’s people are somehow exempt from that rule. Really? Then what is this passage of scripture about? “Now all these things happened unto them [OT Israel] for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (I Cor. 10:11,12). Or this one: “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief [as OT Israel]” (Heb. 4:11). Or this one: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for OUR learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Rom.15:4). If you want to know where the body of Christ is at today, just read the old testament; especially the latter history of Israel and the prophets. Unfortunately history does repeat itself, and the body of Christ has replicated the examples of old testament Israel to its own evident hurt. Yes my friend, God’s people are once again sheep without true shepherds who can feed them in a pure pasture with clean provender. And once again they do not know that this is the case. And once again this is exactly WHY they are being scattered from the pasture that has been provided by God, meaning that which “the Spirit saith unto the [congregations]” (Rev. 2:7).

Isaiah prophesied of the present state of these things, saying, “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths” (Isa. 3:12). That is correct, spiritual children and women are the “shepherds” that are scattering God’s sheep today, and the results are catastrophic. If you haven’t noticed, then you are walking around with your eyes shut for one reason or the other. Yet the Lord’s hand is mercifully outstretched to his people, and the admonition and promise of old is still in effect: “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jer. 3:14,15). But it is very difficult for God to enforce this promise to a generation that has been taught that it is full of “knowledge and understanding.” And as God watches all of this supposed “knowledge and understanding” scatter his sheep, and make them a very easy prey for the wolves, he patiently and sadly waits for those who will truly inquire of him regarding these things. For he knows that a hundred sheep are no match for one wolf. And while he waits, he yet remembers another beautiful promise that he sent to his scattered sheep of old: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). And if that promise is going to be realized by the body of Christ today, it will first have to remember this stark admonition from the Lord through Isaiah: “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” (Isa. 2:22) Amen.