A FLOCK MENTALITY

Part 4

"Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey"
(Ezekiel 34:22)

Today we look at the last five ways God cares for us as a flock. God . . .

INCREASES HIS PEOPLE LIKE A FLOCK

A shepherd always wants his flock to increase. The interesting thing is that sheep are good at increasing. They frequently have twins, and sometimes even triplets. God also wants His flock to increase. He is a God of increase. In Ezekiel 36:37, 38 He says: "I will increase them with men like a flock. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the Lord." This is a prophetic Scripture for Israel and how that when God brings His people back to the land, as He is doing today, that He will increase them. Not just a little. He wants the waste cities FILLED with flocks of men.

Isn't it interesting how God talks about "flocks of men"? He is the shepherd of flocks of men. He wants us to see our family as a flock, too. You won't want to put a stop to your growing family. That's not God's shepherd heart. If you have a shepherd's heart, you'll want to increase your family. You will have a flock mentality.

LEADS HIS PEOPLE LIKE A FLOCK

Psalm 77:20 is such a beautiful Scripture. It says: "Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron." Read also Psalm 80:1. God wants to lead your flock too, but just as He chose Moses and Aaron to lead the children of Israel through the wilderness, He has chosen YOU to lead your children through the wilderness of this evil world with all its fleshly and worldly temptations.

What a responsibility we have as mothers to always keep close to the Lord in order to hear His voice. We can only lead our little flock in God's ways as we follow closely to the Shepherd ourselves.

What does a shepherd do? He leads his flock-- to good pastures, to clean water, to places of peace and security. As shepherding mothers we must also lead our children. We can't be apathetic, status quo, or laid back. We are LEADERS--leading our children closer to God, leading them to the good pasture of His Word, leading them in truth in the midst of a deceptive world, leading them in holiness in the midst of an immoral society, and inspiring them to be lights in the midst of the darkness.

A true shepherd doesn't lead his flock sometimes, or whenever he feels like it. Every morning he wakes it is his fulltime job to lead his flock to their daily pasture. Dear mother, each new day you must also lead your children closer to God, further in the pathway of God, and more and more in His truth.

The shepherd goes before his sheep and leads them. You also are out in front, showing your children the way. "Come on, Children. This is the way we walk in this world." Your great task of leading your children is as great as the leader of a nation. You help to determine the fate of the nation as you daily lead your children away from darkness and more and more into the light. You become a threat to the enemy as you diligently teach your children in the truth,

And we must not forget God's promise to you in Isaiah 40:11: "He gently leads those that are with young." Are you pregnant? Do you have little ones around you? God gently leads you. He doesn't expect you to be involved in all the activities at church and outside the home. He lets you lag behind a bit. Relax and slow down; enjoy your pregnancy. Don't rush around everywhere; enjoy your little ones.

MAKES HIS FLOCKS TO LIE DOWN IN SAFETY

Isaiah 17:2 speaks of "flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid." Read also Jeremiah 33:12. The true shepherd does not want his flocks to be agitated. He wants them to be in safety and where they will not be afraid. This is the blessing of the home. It is a sanctuary God has given to us to care for our flock and to keep them safe from the world and the wiles of the devil. Yes, there will come a time when they will have to go out and face this world, but we are making them strong and getting them ready. We don't send them out before their time.

SAVES HIS PEOPLE LIKE A FLOCK

A shepherd is gentle with his sheep, but he must also be brave when he has to save one of his flock from the prowling enemies, such as a lion or bear. The devil, like a roaring lion, prowls around trying to get access to our children (1 Peter 5:8). He wants to infiltrate their minds with his deceptive philosophies. With all the electronics of this age and the epidemic proportions of pornography and immoral living, we must be constantly on the watch. Sometimes he may grab one of our children. What do we do? Wring our hands and cry? No, we rise up with courage and go after the enemy. We will pull t hem out of his mouth (1 Samuel 17:34-36). We will not sit down until we rescue our child and bring them safely back to the fold. We will not allow our children to become a prey to the devil. Read also Ezekiel 34:8-10 and Zechariah 9:16.

SEEKS HIS PEOPLE LIKE A FLOCK

Ezekiel 34:12: "For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out." We will always have the flock mentality. We cannot rest if one is out of the fold. We guard our whole flock.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

PRAYER:

"Dear Shepherd of the sheep, please help me to be a faithful shepherdess, constantly watching out for prowling enemies that would take my children as prey. Help me to observe, not only the outward, but what is going on in their hearts. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I am a flock guarder.

A FLOCK MENTALITY

Part 3

"He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: from following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands"
(Psalm 70-72).

We are back in the New Year to continue our series about having a "flock mentality." God thinks of us as a flock, so we also need to think like God thinks. So far we have looked at how God makes families like a flock, feeds His people like a flock, and gathers them like a flock. He also . .

GUARDS HIS PEOPLE LIKE A FLOCK

Jeremiah 31:10 (HCSB) says, "The One who scattered Israel will gather him. He will watch over him as a shepherd guards his flock." A faithful shepherd guards his flock day and night. He keeps his flock together and watches that one sheep or a couple of sheep don't lag behind, or get away on their own. As we also watch over our little flock, we not only watch over them individually, but collectively. We know where each one is at all times. Because we have a flock mentality, we are never quite happy until they are all in the fold together.

GUIDES HIS PEOPLE LIKE A FLOCK

Psalm 78:52 says, "He made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock." The shepherd is always with his sheep to guide them to the best pasture.

Just as God guides His people like a flock, He wants us to guide our families like a flock also. We learn from His example. There are so many activities for our children to get involved in these days that it's easy for the family to become fragmented as each child gets involved in their individual activity or sport outside the home. Sometimes we may have to say No to certain individual activities in order to keep family intact. Keeping our family like a flock should take precedence over individuality which often turns to selfishness and eventually weakening the family unit.

I also witness the strength of families serving the Lord together, rather than individually. I think of the Waller family and their eleven children who ten years ago went to help the farmers on the West Bank of Israel. They have continued to go back every year with their whole family. Now four of the children are married and the grandchildren are being born. The whole family continues to serve the Lord together as three generations (I should say four generations, because the grandparents have also been involved as much possible also). The strength of their family togetherness is now impacting the world.

The grown children now head up the ministry in so many areas as it continues to expand and enlarge. This last fall they brought 500 helpers from many countries of the world to help harvest the grapes on the mountains of Israel. They are influencing senators and congressmen in the White House as they inform them about Israel. They could never have done this individually. Their strength is their togetherness as a family.

Instead of sending your children on a mission trip on their own, why not go as a family? We are a far greater influence in the world when we do things as a family than individually.

HOLDS US RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR FLOCK

Proverbs 27:23 says, "Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds." The words "be thou diligent" are actually yada in the Hebrew. The next words "to know" are also yada. It is repeated twice. Yada means "to know intimately." God wants us mothers to know exactly what is happening and everything that is going on in our little flock. When we stand before the Judgment Seat, we won't be able to use the excuse that we didn't really know what was happening because we were too busy being involved in this group or that organization, or even ministry in the church. Our first and foremost responsibility is to know what is going on in our flock. This takes vigilant watching.

The second part of the Scriptures says "look well." The word "well" in the Hebrew is a word that means "the heart." The New Living Translation correctly states: "Put your heart into caring for your herds." This is something we have to put our whole heart and soul into. It's not just making sure they are fed, clothed, and safe, but we are to watch over their souls and spirits too.

When God speaks to the shepherds in Ezekiel 34:10 He says, "I will require my flock at their hand."

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

PRAYER:

"Dear Father, please give me your wisdom as I guide and watch over the flock you have given to me. I know that you hold me responsible for caring for them and training them. Help me to be a faithful shepherd. Please help me to understand the importance of guiding them as a flock, not only individually. And please help me to guide them skillfully. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

Just as Jesus is the Good Shepherd, I also want to be a good shepherdess of my flock. Each day I will gather, guard, and guide my flock, for this is good shepherding.

A FLOCK MENTALITY

Part 2

"So shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men:
and they shall know that I am the Lord"
(Ezekiel 36:38).

We continue to search God's Word to see what He says about flocks. God . . .

FEEDS HIS PEOPLE LIKE A FLOCK

Isaiah 40:11: "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young."

Jeremiah 23:4: "I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord."

Ezekiel 34:15: "I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord."

One of the biggest tasks of a shepherd is to provide good, green, and healthy pasture for his flock. This is also one of our biggest mothering tasks. Ezekiel 34:2 says, "Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?"

Our Great Shepherd daily provides food for us who are His sheep. His Word is full of nourishing food if we will only come and eat. We too must plan, prepare, and provide wholesome food for children's bodies each day. It is a negligent mother who does not care what her children eat. It is an ignorant mother who thinks that endlessly cooking and preparing nutritious meals is wasting her time. It is a powerful part of her mothering.

It is also imperative to plan and prepare food for their souls and minds. It is a careless mother who lets her children have unlimited electronic access and does not lead them to food that nourishes and stimulates their minds.

However, most important of all, we must plan, prepare, and provide fresh food each day for their spirits. We feed our children three nourishing meals each day, but what about their spirits? Are we faithful to nourish them as well? Or, are our children growing tall in body, but with tiny starving spirits? Making Family Devotions happen each day in your home will provide opportunity to nourish their spirits. Did you notice I said, "Making it happen"? Yes, it doesn't just happen. You as the mother of the home have to make it happen. You prepare the way for your husband to read God's Word to your children.

As mothers, we must continually be aware of feeding the "whole man." It's not enough to feed their bodies, but we must nourish their souls and spirits too. And we must make sure it is good food. God describes His food as "green pasture," "good pasture," and "fat pasture" (Psalm 23:2 and Ezekiel 34:14). What kind of pasture do your children feed on?

GATHERS HIS PEOPLE LIKE A FLOCK

Isaiah 40:11: "He shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom." Also read Jeremiah 23:3 and Micah 2:12).

Our great God is a gathering Shepherd. He does not want His flock to be scattered but to be gathered together to Him. Jeremiah 31:10: "He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock."

Gathering is also part of our mothering anointing. As mothers, we have the responsibility to keep the family together. As children grow it is easy for them to scatter and go in all directions. We can let this happen or we can be a gatherer, always thinking of ways to gather them together.

Do you have little children? Sometimes they become cranky, and even start bouncing off the walls! Gather them together. "Come, children. Sit with Mommy on the sofa and we'll read a story." As you gather them on your knees and close around you, they will calm down and become peaceful again. I would often do this many times a day when my children were little.

Gather your children to the table for your meals. Don't ever allow them to sit in front of the TV or eat in some other room. Table gathering is one of the most powerful gatherings of the home. This is where we focus together and communicate with one another. Never let your table gatherings fall by the wayside. They knit your family together.

Are your children grown and left the nest? Think of ways to schedule family get-togethers, not just for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but think of all kinds of excuses to have a party or family gathering.

NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

"Dear Great Shepherd of the sheep, please help me to shepherd like You. Show me how to be a great feeder, leading my children to luscious pasture. Help me to be a great gatherer rather than allowing my children to be scattered. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I love to feed my family and gather them around my table.

A FLOCK MENTALITY

"So shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men:
and they shall know that I am the Lord"
(Ezekiel 36:38).

Of all the animals in the world. God choose to call us His sheep. Most animals can survive independently, but not sheep. They have a flocking mentality. They get agitated if they are separated from the flock. When the shepherd finds the sheep and brings it back to the flock, it becomes happy, secure, and contented again.

God not only calls us His sheep, but His flock. God did not create us to live independently either, but to be part of a family. He sets the solitary in families (Psalm 68:6). He wants everyone to be part of a family. This is God's design.

Throughout God's Word, He continually likens us to a flock. As we read the following Scriptures we learn how God wants us to function as families.

The Bible says that God . . .

MAKES FAMILIES LIKE A FLOCK

Psalm 103:41-43 says, "Yet he sets the poor on high, far from affliction, and makes their families like a flock. The righteous see it and rejoice, and all iniquity stops its mouth. Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord."

Have you ever seen a flock of 1.8 sheep (the average number of children in American families)? Even two or three sheep is hardly a flock. Why do many parents laugh at the concept of a flock? Because they have been brainwashed by our humanist society. That's not how they felt when they were little. Ask any child what they would like best of all and they will answer, "Another baby brother or sister." No toys or materialistic things you can give your children can ever make up for another sibling who will be their friend for life.

When there is a "flock" of children in a family, they don't feel the same need to go off looking for other peers as they have so many friends in their own family.

What does God say about it? He says that when the righteous see God blessing a family with another child they rejoice! This is a rather different reaction than most people have today. Even amongst Christians we constantly hear: "You're' not having another baby, are you?" "Glad it's you and not me!" "Don't you know how to stop making babies?" "Haven't you got enough already?" These comments do not come out of the mouths of the righteous.

God also says that the wise will understand that when a family receives another precious baby that it is the lovingkindness of the Lord. They don't make negative remarks. They don't degrade them. Instead, they rejoice with them and praise the Lord.

A precious couple shared how they experienced the lovingkindness of the Lord with their new baby. They were debating whether they should have more children. Their parents and friends were against it, but they felt the Holy Spirit wooing them to obey God's Word. They went ahead and trusted the Lord and sometime later conceived their sixth baby.

About this time, they felt that they were losing one of their teenage sons who was in public school. He was pulling away from God and from the family. They decided to bring him home from the public school and educate him at home. He came home about the time their little baby was born. Because he was at home, this young man bonded with his little baby brother. This little baby softened his heart. The rebellion left. He turned back to God and to his family. This couple rejoiced that they were not only blessed with another baby, but they received back their son who was lost. God's lovingkindness came to them through adding to their flock.

When the righteous see God blessing and increasing a family, they rejoice. They are wise enough to know it is the lovingkindness of the Lord. Don't you think it's time for us to think like God thinks? Read also Ezekiel 34:31 and Micah 2:12.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

PRAYER:

"Thank you, Father, that I belong to your flock, and therefore you watch over me and care for me. Help me to shepherd my family too and to welcome all the children you have planned for my little flock. Help me to have a flock mentality. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I am shepherding my flock with love and care.

To be continued.