At a local farm show, I watched a demo of moving sheep about using a Border Collie. The dog’s trainer explained that sheep are weak and helpless. They’re easy targets to get attacked by wild animals. Their main defence is to stick close together in a tight group. “A sheep alone is a dead sheep,” the trainer said. “The dog always keeps the sheep together as it moves them forward.”

This made me think of one of the images the Bible gives us of God. We’re told He is our Shepherd and we are His sheep. And as sheep, Christians need each other in this dangerous world! One psalm writer, when thinking about the time God rescued His people from slavery in Egypt, wrote: “He led his own people like a flock of sheep, guiding them safely through the wilderness. He kept them safe so they were not afraid” (PS. 78:52-53 NLT).

As part of God’s flock, we are under His guiding, protecting hand while being surrounded by His family—our churches and our Christian friends. We find safety and support when we spend time with other Christians.

How we live and what we do is up to us. But, as part of God’s flock, we also shouldn’t think of ourselves as just ‘me’—we’re part of God’s ‘us’! And we need to stick together.

By: David McCasland

To Pray About . . .

Thank You, Father, for the Christians I know. Thank You for their love and encouragement, especially when life is hard.