Sheep Without a Shepherd

One of my favorite things about Romania is watching real shepherds lead their flocks of sheep. They stand watch over them, protecting, defending, leading and guiding from pasture to pasture.

I love driving to different towns and watching the sheep grazing or following the shepherd’s direction, never away from his attentive protection.

During our last trip to Romania in April, I was told the following story:

Romania Missionary Fellowship Director Florin Vasiliu asked a shepherd a question.

“What is the most important quality a shepherd can have?”

Thinking the man would answer that a shepherd must know the best pastures and fields in which to take the sheep, Florin was surprised at the answer.

“The most important thing is that a shepherd must really love the sheep.”

Wow.

This morning the RTM staff gathered with Romania Missionary Fellowship Director Florin Vasiliu and his wife Denise to pray and seek the Lord’s help for this weekend’s RMF Conference, evangelestic youth meeting and three Sunday services.

Brother Michael opened our time by reading Matthew 9:35-38,

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

This is why we are in Eastern Europe.

We are here because the love of the Great Shepherd has called us into His flock and He tells us there are more to be brought in. But we must go to them. We must tell them of a Shepherd far greater than even the most loving, most protective, most loyal shepherd they’ve ever known or heard of.

Imagine a flock of sheep left to themselves, without a shepherd. 

They would be an open target for predators to come and destroy.
If they wandered into mountainous areas they could fall to their death.
They would be unprotected.
They could be stolen and taken as someone else’s.

This is the state of the people in Eastern Europe.

The people filling the villages in Romania and Moldova are harassed and helpless.

They don’t know the Truth that can set them free.
They don’t know of a grace so rich it can pardon the most vile sin.
They don’t know real love.
They don’t know of the death that can bring them life.
They don’t know they can have hope.
They don’t know our Jesus.

So let us pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

May the work done in these days through pastors conferences, youth meetings, church services and other events be instrumental in the raising up of faithful shepherds who will love and lead the sheep in Eastern Europe. Discipling them and equipping them with necessary tools to follow the ultimate Shepherd. The One who laid His life down for the sheep.

Oh, may it be so.