The Story

Imagine you are flying over South Africa in a helicopter. This is no regular helicopter either. This is Marine One. It belongs to the President of the United States of America.

While the President is not flying in this aircraft, it will undergo extreme test flights to assure its ability to maneuver in a crisis. Diving up and down, left and right.

Typically when you’d dive toward a pack of animals they’ll naturally scurry. That’s not the case with sheep. They run toward the helicopter! What in the world?! They amazingly run as a heard in the direction of the loud, giant object coming toward them!

The Idea

Sheep run toward danger. It’s not a good thing. This isn’t firemen running into a building when everyone else runs away. Sheep are downright stupid. In the scripture below God tells us to not be like sheep. They don’t know they are running toward danger. In this case, the danger is sin. Whether that sin is temporal or a systematic issue in your life. Run from it. Sinners charge toward danger without knowing it. Just like the sheep. Christ-followers acknowledge their sin, repent, and leave their life of it.

The Bible

Matthew 18:10-14

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

The Prayer

“Dear Lord Jesus, please help me to run from danger. Help me to run from sin and toward your mercy, grace, and forgiveness. I recognize that I have a sinful nature. Thank You for Your work on the cross. I take responsibility and control of my thoughts, will, and emotions. They must yield to the cross. I choose to live in the freedom that You give. Thank You! In Jesus’ Name, amen.”