Counting Sheep or Counting on the Shepherd

One item I picked up from the Sunday morning’s message that wasn’t the main topic of our pastor’s sermon was when we’re having a time of sleeplessness, it may be God vying for our attention. He may want some quality time with us. The Lord may want to pull us away from the worries that are causing our restlessness and our inability to sleep. There may be a problem or concern that’s too large for us to carry by ourselves and God may want us to give it to Him. So many times during the day we have distractions and not enough time to share our concerns with God. It may be something small and we think God doesn’t want bothered with it, but if you take time to read His word, often it is the small and the weak things and people that actually accomplishes much more than powerful ones.

Today the media and people are saying “follow your heart,” but the heart is too often wicked and deceitful. It will lead us astray. If we seek God’s will and take time to pray for God to guide our hearts, God will never lead us into sin, despair, or wickedness.

God’s will is perfect, even though we may not agree with His timing or the way He directs us to the destination. We may have detours because we haven’t learned a lesson that is necessary before we can face the next part of our life. A farmer can’t harvest a crop if he doesn’t prepare the soil and plant the seed. He can water and weed, but he won’t harvest anything and will have wasted his time.

Jeremiah prophesied for Judea that they needed to turn from their idols and sins or they would be destroyed by Babylon, yet Judea’s kings and people ignored Jeremiah, even after the city was surrounded by the Babylonian army. They refused to believe that destruction was at hand and continued to ignore the threat camped outside the gates.

When Jeremiah told them the only way they could avoid being utterly destroyed was to surrender. The Judeans said that he was committing treason because they refused to believe him and return to God, they were slaughtered and the land razed.

Isaiah 5:20, 21, 23 shares, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!...Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!” Where is America today?