"Undoubtedly you've heard the old story of a man who died, went to heaven, and stood with his Lord looking back over his life on earth. His story appeared to him as footprints in the sand of a beach, traveling through the events of his life. But he noticed that during the hard times there was only one set of footprints in the sand. And so he turned and said, 'Lord, why was it that when I needed you most, you left me to myself?" And his Lord said, 'My child, I love you and would never leave you. When there was only one set of footprints in the sand, it was then that I carried you.'"
It's a beautiful story. But there's a problem: it's hard to carry someone who won't let us carry him, who won't let someone help, who insists on walking the way alone.
Our Shepherd will guide and protect us as he walks with us through suffering to the other side. But a shepherd can only guide those sheep who will follow. The sheep must choose to stay at his side, under the protection of his rod and staff, in his presence. The shepherd's staff is only eight feet long. They must stay close to him. This can be a hard choice to make on hard days.
Suffering can make us self-sufficient. We pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and refuse to be defeated. We decide we can beat this thing. We work harder, run faster, climb higher, determined we will win. We can run ahead of God and expect him to follow. But he may not. The sheep can't make it through this valley themselves. The wolves and the thieves and the thorns and the cliffs will get them every time. Self-reliance is a sure prescription for disaster.
And suffering can make us angry as well. If he's such a great shepherd, why did he lead us into this valley? Why are we here? Why should we trust him any longer? I've known people over the years who let hard times drive a wedge between them and God so that they never trusted him again. "If God is real, why did I get cancer? Why is there war? Why did my daughter die?"
In the valley, we must choose whether or not we will go to God, trust in God, depend on God or ourselves. Has a hard day come between you and God? Are you a sheep out ahead of the shepherd, going your way and asking God to bless it - self-reliant and self-sufficient? How long since you asked God's help with your work, or family, or problem? James 4:8 promises that if we draw close to God, he will draw close to us. The hardest days can bring us closest to God. But the choice is ours. Choose wisely this morning."
---Dr. James Denson
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