My Wondrous Shepherd, through Isaiah the prophet You said of your people … “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid upon Him (Christ) the iniquity of us all.” My straying from You can also be compared to a wandering sheep. A sheep who refuses Your guidance and exposes himself to danger. You were sent to bring all the “wanderers” back into the fold. I now, through hindsight, understand the fulfillment of the promise of a Messiah who would come and die for the sins of His people. I beg Your forgiveness for my sins and ask that You remove the scales from my eyes which hide the evil I do to You and others. My hope is that, once and for all, I can put an end to my wandering and fall into line behind You. If You, as a lamb, submitted Yourself as a sacrifice for my sins, why can I not offer my submission as a sign of my repentance?
Unfortunately for me, the Devil is good at making the grass look greener on the other side of the fence from where You want me to be. I have wandered off solving my problems without ever thinking of soliciting Your help. I have left You out of my life thinking other things were more important to do. And, I have lived contrary to the way You have instruct me in Your Word. Going my own way has caused me to squander my life on meaningless things and spiritually bankrupting it. Living to please myself has led me to being unfulfilled. I am beginning to realize that following You and accepting Your ways will lead to a better and more fulfilling life. The road of living for myself is a lonely one and leaves me with more questions than answers. If I choose to abandon self and accept selflessness as my way of life, I know that it will change for the better.
To abandon being a “wandering sheep” in order to become a “sheep of the fold” will require a decision to stop living for me and start living for You. It means putting Your priorities ahead of mine. It means falling in line rather than taking off on my own. And it means working in partnership with You … knowing Your voice when You speak … following Your lead so that You can take me to places of contentment and fulfillment … and, accepting my place in the fold doing what I am asked to do. I must accept the reality that without You my life is wasted and worth nothing. In You alone do I find my place in the world … my calling in Your Kingdom … and my role in serving You and my fellow man. I am beginning to feel like my wandering days have come to an end because my desire is to be an obedient and loyal sheep in Your fold. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Psalm 119:10 I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands.