Sheep Among Wolves

Recently I was perusing through my email, clicking on one message after another when suddenly, I gazed upon a picture/artwork that took my breath away. See picture below.

I stared for what felt like hours, drawn to the scene like a moth to a flame. That particular day I needed to see that picture. In fact, I wish I’d discovered it a long time ago. Yet, I know there’s a time for everything and this was the time to see it.

What do you see when you look at this artwork? What are your first impressions?

For me, the first thing I was drawn to was the little lamb in Jesus’ arms. Most people would probably notice Jesus first, as he is the focal point of the picture. I think I was drawn to the lamb first because it looked so innocent and vulnerable. Cradled in Jesus’ arms, it looked so safe. The lamb’s little arms are scrunched up against Jesus’ chest while his face presses against the Savior.

Perhaps I was drawn to the lamb because lately I have felt vulnerable and sometimes frightened by what I see around me. As a researcher, I uncover so many dark things and sometimes I feel myself letting fear creep in. When this happens, I just want Jesus to whisk me out of this world and up to heaven where it’s safe. Like the little lamb in the picture, I want to jump into his arms so he can protect me from the ravenous wolves.

I love this verse from Psalm 34:7 which says:

“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.”

Granted, I am only righteous because of Jesus’ blood. But certainly, I want to be delivered from my troubles.

Looking back at the artwork, it’s clear that Jesus is in control. He shows no fear, but a commanding confidence. His shepherd’s staff is large and stretched out. This speaks volumes because it’s a reminder of the Lord’s outstretched hand and arm, which is used in scripture to signify that God alone will deliver us from trouble. It is his power that overthrows Pharaohs, parts the Red Sea and saves us from death.

Just look at those wolves. I’ve seen many drawings, paintings and pictures of wolves, but this artwork really brings out the viciousness and intimidating nature of the pack. Many people might look at these wolves with their super sharp teeth and evil glares and think, “This is it for the lamb….He’s done for.” The wolves outnumber Jesus four to one and they have him surrounded. But does that faze Jesus? Of course not. He can slay them with one word. Numbers mean nothing. The Bible is full of stories where God uses small numbers to defeat vast armies.

In truth, that little lamb is helpless. There is no way he can protect himself. 

If you research shepherds and sheep, you’ll find that the sheep cannot survive without the shepherd. They can’t find good pasture or clean water. With no sense of direction and discernment about danger, they are prone to wandering off and getting lost.

The Bible describes Jesus as a shepherd and humans as sheep. Why?

Isaiah 53:6 says,

“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.”

When Jesus gave his life on the cross, he died so he could forgive our sins, give us new life and be our shepherd.

Jesus also gave his followers a warning in Matthew 10:16 when he declared:

 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.”

And boy isn’t that true! Right now, standing up for the Word of God, or simply trying to live a life of faith is like putting a giant target on your back that says, WOLF BAIT. You might as well be a sizzling steak walking through the woods.

Study the picture again.

Just look at how mean and determined those wolves appear. They want that lamb so bad they can taste it!

But remember that Jesus is the good shepherd and that little sheep in his arms belongs to him. He will not allow those wolves to sink their teeth into that precious lamb. The little lamb knows this too. He’s not squirming–he’s not burying his head–he has a quiet confidence as he looks out at the wolves. If you belong to Christ you too are a precious lamb that he will protect from the penetrating darkness and evil. 

 John 10:11-15 describes Jesus’ relationship with his sheep

 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.  The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.  As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep." 

Jesus is the only one who will never leave the sheep. In this upside-down world there are those who say they care about the planet, or they want what’s best for humanity. These days it’s the corrupt governments of the earth who say “they care.” But in the end, they only care for themselves and their bank accounts. When the wolves show up (which they sent), they will be leaving those sheep behind while they run full speed ahead. If you lose your money, mind, or life they will not lose sleep over it.

During the Covid PLAN-demic there were too many sheep following the wrong shepherd. Many trusted the Pharma companies and the government, who were nothing more than wolves with sharp teeth disguised as needles. They said they cared. They said they would save lives. But all they really cared about was money and population control. Instead of saving lives, thousands upon thousands were made prey to Big Bad Pharma, giving the Big Bad Wolf a run for his money!

The truth is that many people let fear speak to them instead of Jesus. When we let fear speak instead of the Savior, we can end up being harmed. This goes for any situation– from family problems to worries about health, finances or the future.

I’ll never forget an incident that happened years ago when I was on my parent’s property in Tennessee. I was on a mission to explore the woods with my Dad, but before we went outside he reminded me to put on some rubber boots. I didn’t really want to because they were big, bulky and not very fashionable. “Get those boots on,” he said in a commanding tone. Reluctantly I put on the over-sized contraptions and trudged up the mountainside near my parent’s house. After Dad and I got to the top, he went on ahead of me. “Look out for snakes,” he said. “Shuffle your feet so they hear you coming.” No sooner did he say that when a snake came out from under the leaves, lunging at my boot! I screamed so loud I think I scared all the snakes off the mountain. Looking down at my foot, I realized the snake had tried to bite my big, bulky boot. My Dad turned around, walked over and said, “Now aren’t you glad you wore those boots!”

The lesson I took from this is that without protection we are a sitting duck waiting to be bitten. The Serpent (the demonic realm) is ready to lunge and strike at any moment. You better have your boots on when he does. Your relationship with Jesus can be likened to those boots. Your faith in his promises and in his word are part of this as well. If you don’t have a strong relationship, or if you don’t take Jesus at his word, then you might as well have flip flops on. Take it from me because I am the first one to admit that I’ve worn flip flops around lots of snakes. It didn’t end well. Praise Jesus that he is able to heal wounds because if not, I wouldn’t be here writing this blog today.

Truly, as humans we really are like sheep.

We aren’t very fast. We have no camouflage. We don’t have sharp teeth, claws, talons or venom. We can be easy prey for the enemy. But we do have the armor of God which is invisible in the natural realm, but it’s stronger than kryptonite in the spiritual world.

The picture of me below was taken in 2021 and yes, I’m wearing a wedding dress and combat boots! Ok, yes, I look like I have one leg, but that’s because my other leg is hidden under the dress!

The inspiration for this photo came from a fearless Christian named Nancy Wilson, who passed away last year. She was an amazing evangelist for Jesus, a talented story-teller and a faithful supporter of the Jewish people. She battled cancer for several years, but in the end, she lost her fight here on earth. All the while, during her difficult experience she would tell the nurses and doctors that she was in a WIN-WIN situation– if she survived it would be a win because she could live longer and spread the gospel. If she died, it would be a win because she would be with Jesus. While she was still alive, Nancy would always remind Christians that they are the Bride of Christ and that means they need to get their combat boots on. The enemy (wolves) will not make things easy so you might as well dig your heels in and fight Jesus’ way through prayer, fasting, and completing the work you’ve been assigned. Don’t let the snarling wolves and biting snakes stop you! Kick them with your boots!

What’s interesting is that sweet Nancy passed away when I was in Telluride, Colorado for my son’s wedding. I got the message as I was riding the gondola with my husband up to the mountain where the wedding would take place. I felt sad, but also happy at the same time. After all, here I was celebrating my son’s wedding, but Nancy was with her groom, Jesus. I couldn’t help but think about the day that Jesus would come and fetch his bride. Additionally, I remembered Nancy’s words–that we are the Bride in Combat Boots. Jesus was confirming this outstanding truth. Below is a picture of the wedding in beautiful Telluride.

I’m not saying that Jesus is going to shelter you from all the wolves in your life, and in the world.

Look at the picture again.

Note that the lamb sees those wolves. He isn’t oblivious to their presence.

In our own lives we must remember that we are still going to see and experience wolves. They will ferociously snarl and try to intimidate us. But notice the little lamb in Jesus’ arms. He remains peaceful and stays close to his shepherd. That is how we too must be. As situations get heated and extremely stressful, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. When we look at the wolves surrounding us, we mustn’t gaze upon them with fear and defeat in our eyes. In that case, we will only see the problem instead of the solution.

Interestingly enough, dogs can smell fear and so can wolves. Of course, the enemy (Satan) and his minions can smell it too. But as believers, we must let the powerful aroma of the Word of God squelch that fear pheromone.

The Bible tells us over three hundred times that we should not be afraid. If God repeats this message, we would do well to listen.

The interesting and hopeful thing about all of this is that one day…

Jesus is going to flip this whole situation with the wolf and the lamb around.

Isaiah 11:6-9 explains the details:

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
    and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
    and a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze;
    their young shall lie down together;
    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
    and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

They shall not hurt or destroy
    in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

Did you see that?

No longer will the WOLF try to kill the LAMB.

Instead, they will be able to sit together peacefully, and the lamb will not fear for his life.  A child will be able to play with a cobra! Wow–and no boots are necessary!

I’ll tell you what– I cannot wait for that day. I wish it were here TODAY.

When will that glorious day come? I wish I knew, but until then Jesus has told us:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27 ESV

Even as we face the wolves Jesus tells us in John 10:28:

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” 

The wolves in the picture cannot get to the lamb cradled in Jesus’ arms and hands. But it’s also important to understand that the lamb isn’t jumping out of the Savior’s hand. In truth, if the lamb decides to squirm his way out and make a run for it, those wolves will make a meal out of him. It’s the same for Christians. If we ignore Jesus and follow our own path, we will be prey for those wolves. They will encircle us and attempt to steal, kill and destroy. If we are Christians, the wolves can’t take our salvation, but they can sure steal our peace, and keep us from living our best life with Jesus.

Also let us never forget that Jesus was surrounded by wolves as he was crucified on the cross. His body was viciously attacked through whipping, scourging and piercing. Those nails can be likened to claws and teeth. But Jesus did not give in to the howls, growls and bites. Instead, he conquered Hell itself and rose from the dead.

To the wolves’ surprise, they were now the prey.

Remember that Jesus has sent you out as a sheep among wolves. They can only intimidate you if you let them! After all, they have already been defeated by the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

The artwork featured in this blogpost is by an artist known as Wukkystration from Deviant Art. It’s titled Be Not Afraid.

Wolf photo on header from Unsplash Marc-Oliver Jodoin