I've heard that sheep are not the smartest animals around. I don’t know whether it's true, but it seems they can do some pretty dumb things.
For example, sheep can nibble their way lost. Their eyesight allows them to see just 10-15 feet in front of them; so when out in the field, they will eat a little clump of grass here, and then see another one a short distance away, walk over to it and eat it. The process repeats and, before they know it, they're lost.
People do the same thing.
One little act leads them a step away from their faith, followed by another, and then another. Before they know it, they have gotten away from the practice of faith all together. One little sin, then another, followed by another. And they are lost.
Temptations entice us to give in to small things that defy God. It can be much easier to resist big temptations. But the little ones, the ones that seem relatively harmless, pack much more danger to our faith because they are so subtle.
Like sheep, we nibble our way lost.
However, though sheep cannot find their way back to the flock on their own, they know when they are in trouble, and they're smart enough to call for help. They bleat until a shepherd finds them.
We can do that, too. We can call out to our Lord, our Shepherd, and acknowledge we have strayed so far that we cannot find our own way back.
When we call out to him, he comes. He finds us, cleans us up, and welcomes us back into the fold.
Sounds smart to me.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: We, like sheep, need our shepherd