You were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.  1 Peter 2:25

Sheep roam over the hills in Germany. Do they belong to someone? If you ask a local shepherd, he will say, “All the sheep on this side of the hill belong to me. They’re a hardy breed. They stay out in all kinds of weather, and they find their food up in the hills. They are brought down for dipping, worming, lambing, and shearing.”  “But what if they wander off?”  “They don’t. They’re heafed to their leader’s hill.”  Heafed is a new word to me. Even without fences, these sheep know their own patch of ground. The mother sheep teach each generation of lambs where they belong.

 I wandered far from God because it is my nature to stray. But when I came to Jesus Christ, he “heafed” me to himself. Now, when I am inclined to wander, the shepherd’s voice speaks to my heart, calling me back.

Lord, we are glad that you are our shepherd. Help us; change our hearts so we never want to stray, as we pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”* Amen.