How Urgent Is It?

7 Sivan 5768

In arguing with HaShem over my selfish “issues” that I have about my life, the L-rd spoke to me. I certainly don’t deserve His time if I’m going to hold onto a bad attitude. However shortly after I had my little outburst and perhaps a bit of cooling down on my part, He decided to put these questions into my mind:

How urgent is it to keep a soul from Gei-Hinnom?

How much do you have to sacrifice for it to be enough to save another?

How much effort is required of an EMT to save a physical life?

Is it any different for a spiritual life?

How about a flock?

In a flock of GOD’s people, there will be many needs to fill 7 days at all hours. For a number of years I have felt the call from Him to be some form of shepherd to minister to the needs of GOD’s flock.

The prophet Yechezk’el was told by HaShem to speak against the shepherds of Israel in chapter 34. GOD told this prophet to point out that they “have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You [ Israel’s shepherds] have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally” (34:4) (NIV).

These things that Israel’s shepherds were not doing are the very things that will take up a 24/7 schedule should He really want me to be an ordained rabbi/minister/pastor someday.

It appears that these questions seem to imply a certain level of sacrifice is necessary and that I must get relatively comfortable with it in preparation for similar sacrifices that I would experience as a shepherd.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.