I was cruising along one fine day with the phrase ―”Strayin‘ into darkness” be-bopping around my cranium, when I began thinking about that peculiar word stray. The first example that popped into my mind was the parable of the lost sheep. Ninety-nine sheep managed to stay in the fold, but one daydreamer went strayin‘ into darkness.

I‘ve watched many nature shows on TV and have seen that wolves and jackals always prey upon the strays of the fold. Why? Because these predators will first attack the weakest link, and the whole flock is stronger than the sum of its parts. Therefore, when a “day-dreamer” strays away from the flock, it is in great peril, and if it has strayed too far, then it falls upon the shepherd to bring the sheep back or the sheep will die. It matters not to the Good Shepherd that he still has ninety and nine safely in the fold. The reason is as he says, “The one ’tis of mine, having strayed away from me, and although the road is rough and steep, I go to the desert to find my sheep.”

This is precisely the reason Jesus is “The Good Shepherd.” The Master knows us well and tenderly cares for each and every one of us. Hallelujah, what a Savior! It‘s such a blessing to know that it‘s all not just some numbers game to Jesus, like some cosmic stock trader winning some and losing some as he builds his great portfolio. Our Shepherd is fervently passionate about each and every one of His sheep, not willing to lose any for lack of effort. My friends, as we ponder this amazing love, it is truly aweinspiring. What a fabulous gift we are given from Him who is the Son of God, the first-born of all creation, the Alpha and the Omega, our Passover Lamb, our Good Shepherd, the One through whom all things were made and ”Without Him was not anything made that was made!” (John 1:3) WOW!!!

“God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). If we are, indeed, “strayin‘ into darkness,” then scripturally speaking, we are walking away from God. Consider the certain young man who stayed with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. You remember the incident, one young sheep stayed in the fold, while the other ninety and nine, including Peter, Matthew, James, Philip and the rest of the disciples went strayin‘ into darkness. I believe that certain young man stayed because he loved Jesus. They all strayed except one, and I truly admire his tenacity. I applaud his moxie, but moxie or not, when he was singled out and the soldiers grabbed his linen robe, he took off like a jackrabbit! His linen robe tore off, with that poor young soul strayin‘ into darkness naked and confused, leaving Jesus alone with those wolves and jackals, like a lamb ready for the slaughter.

As we walk in the light with our precious Lord, we are covered by His robe of righteousness. Strayin‘ into darkness leaves us naked, exposed, and in great peril from wolves and jackals. To stray is to deviate from the direct course, leave the proper place, or go beyond the proper limits, without a fixed course or purpose. For the Christian, our proper place is walking with the Christ, our Savior, our Lord, our King, our Shepherd, and watching and listening to His directions as to which way to go. We watch and listen for His still small voice, and the multitude of ways in which He communicates with us. We try, at least in some way, to keep abreast of what‘s going on around us and where we‘re at, so that we might be ready for whatever. As Jesus told His disciples, “Therefore keep watch ... you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matt. 24: 42, 44).

The ninety and nine disciples who fled Jesus in Gethsemane, frankly hadn‘t watched nor listened intently enough to figure out what was going on around them in that garden, and being overcome with confusion and their own self-preservation they strayed into darkness. The one valiant young disciple who initially stayed overcame his confusion and self-preservation with his love for Jesus, but when those soldiers‘ hands came down upon his shoulders, he, too, was not ready and went strayin‘ into darkness.

Strayin‘ into darkness is very risky business, and should be avoided like the plague. However it‘s so nice to know that if we do stray, our Good Shepherd will come looking for us. But of course, in the BIG picture, it‘s certainly a wiser and all around better thing to just stay in the fold.

©CDMI

“… The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, 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…I am the Good Shepherd, and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” John 10:11-12;14