A hired hand is a sorry excuse for a shepherd, but if the sheep are deaf… what’s the difference anyway? A hired hand leading deaf sheep—talk about fumbling futility. No one knows the way to go, and who cares anyway? Friday’s pay day.
Please don’t misunderstand, adequate compensation for honest hard work is only fitting for any laborer. Why blame the hired hand? And wouldn’t most sheep generally prefer to hear if they could?
But night still comes at the end of each day giving cover to the predator. Darkness forces the hand of the feeble… fight? flight? freak out? fall asleep? Evening bids the hard of hearing, “Listen!... What was that?” In the end, what do wages count when life is at stake? And isn’t deafness sometimes code for “I won’t hear”?
Selah
Breathe in vast expanses of green. There is freedom on the heights, and in the valleys, cool waters to refresh. When night falls, count the stars if you can. Take joy in clearly hearing the familiar voice say, “I am the good shepherd.” Rest soundly, you will need strength for the adventure ahead.
Before you sleep, concentrate. If you listen carefully, you can hear the squeals of the enemy, running for his life.
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
And carries them close to his heart;
He gently leads those that have young.
-Isaiah 40:11
