Safe in His ArmsSample

Touching Arms

The closer we are to the Shepherd, the firmer our foundation.

Have you ever heard the term “cast sheep” or a “cast down sheep?” Neither had I! Now, I am by no means a shepherd, so this term helped me have a deeper understanding of what David is referring to when he says, “The good Shepherd restores his soul.” Phillip Keller says every shepherd has had a cast down sheep at some point or another, and it is a pathetic sight. The cast sheep lies on its back with its feet in the air, frantically struggling to stand up without any success. The only thing the sheep can do is lie there, frightened and frustrated, until its shepherd comes to help. If he is close to the shepherd, the shepherd can immediately turn him over and put him back on his feet again. Sadly, if the sheep is too far away and too much time has passed before the shepherd can come to its rescue, it will die. 

As I’m writing this, I can’t help but think there are a lot of God’s sheep who have been led away from their Shepherd and have found themselves helpless on their backs, desperately trying to flip themselves over to stand on their own feet. However, life is showing us we are not capable of turning ourselves over and getting ourselves back on our feet. We need a good Shepherd close by, and thank Jesus, we have One. 

In times of uncertainty, it’s easy to not know what to do, and it’s even harder to admit we don’t know what to do. Fear of the unknown will leave the happiest person feeling cast down, disheartened, and often confused to know who to trust. Psalm 23:3 reminds us that God wants to restore our souls and shine His light on the path He has chosen to walk with us. 

His path, for you and for me, is for us to be close to Him at all times. So close that when we find ourselves stuck on our backs, feet sticking straight up in the air, He can reach out and restore us back to our feet. There is no better or safer way to walk a path than touching arms with Jesus. 

We were created to walk with God. The journey He chooses will be perfect and personally designed for us. As a follower of Jesus, we must remember He does not follow us, even if we think we know the best way to go. 

Yes, life as we know it is uncertain and unknown. Although, I believe if we stay close to our Shepherd, He will do whatever it takes to turn us over and plant us on a firm foundation because that’s what good Shepherd’s do. He is worthy of our trust!