08/09/2025
Photoshop of the day - He is on the way.
"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?" (Luke 15:4)
We are all familiar with this parable, of Jesus describing a shepherd who goes after one of his precious sheep that has gotten lost. I personally have already made 12 images just on this story alone because of how impactful it is. It's a beautiful story of God's love toward us, even when we have gone our own way and appear to be without hope.
But for this piece, I wanted to focus on the sheep for a moment. What were his thoughts when alone and afraid? And what about when he heard footsteps running up behind him? Perhaps without knowing it was the shepherd, those footsteps would be even scarier than being alone. What if the sheep (in this image), looked down in the muddy puddle and saw a reflection of a figure coming closer? Again, that might be terrifying to a sheep all alone.
Of course, the shepherd wouldn't come without calling the for the sheep. He would be yelling out for it. After all, the sheep do know the voice of their shepherd. The footsteps and the reflections would now have some context, and the fear would go away.
Or would it?
A sheep who has run away from the flock might be joyful at the sight of his shepherd, or he might be fearful. He might even choose to continue running, as to avoid the punishment from his caretaker. He's already had a bad day, why make it worse by getting in big trouble?
So I wanted to illustrate this sheep as being....lost. But also conflicted. He hears the footsteps, he hears the voice, he sees the reflection. But he hesitates.
Maybe that is how we act sometimes too, especially when we run from the Lord. Yes, its amazing that He searches for us and extends His love and mercy to get us out of the mess. But also, maybe we are ashamed of what we have done. We feel guilty for running, and guilty for choices we have made, and dread the idea of being found out for who we really are.
The good news, though, is that we don't have to be conflicted. God came to our rescue to bring us closer to Him, not to throw us into an even deeper mess. He doesn't come to destroy us, humiliate us, or ridicule you. He comes with loving arms, ready to get down in the mud with you and pull you to safety.
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