by Dona Hake
Because His hands are strong, He steadies us. When we are down, He stands us up and strengthens us by His power. It is then that we can stay standing and go forward.
Yesterday I shared about the danger of a sheep being “cast down.” David mentions this term several times relative to his soul being cast down. He would pray things like, “why are you cast down oh my soul…hope in God!” The loving shepherd is ever so watchful that none of his sheep are in the “cast down” position because it only means death if not caught in time.
You may be wondering how a sheep ends up cast down. This is how it transpires. A heavy or long fleeced sheep may lie down comfortably in some hollow or depression in the ground. As it lays on its side it may stretch out to relax and suddenly the center of gravity in the body shifts so that it turns on its back and its feet no longer touch the ground. The sheep feels a sense of panic and starts to paw frantically. If it lies there too long, gases begin to build up in the rumen. All this works together in a bad way as it cuts off the blood circulation to the extremities of the body. If not found and lifted back up by the strong arms and hands of the shepherd the sheep would definitely die.
This is such an interesting analogy to ponder. For me I can see such a parallel to what depression can do to an individual. David’s prayer makes even more sense as he prayed “why are you cast down oh my soul?…hope in God! Depression and any devastating experience can cause you to just “lay down” and lose hope. Thank God for our loving Shepherd and His watchful eye. Let us call upon Him in those times when there seems to be no hope. Call upon Him in those times that you have fallen and you know you cannot get back up on your own. Oh what a loving Shepherd our Lord is!
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