The Cure for Being Cast Down

I am a determined do-it-yourselfer.  I admit that I really hate asking for help.  It is mix of pride and impatience.  I don’t like to be told I can’t do something or can’t fix something.  And I hate the inconvenience and time delays of having to hire someone else to do it, not to mention the money involved.  So, I have been known to tackle all sorts of plumbing, electrical, and carpentry repairs around my home.  I have no particular skill at this, but sometimes I have gotten lucky and it turned out okay.  More often than not, I find myself having made the problem even worse.  Now I have more serious damage to deal with, not to mention even more time, money, and effort to get someone to come and fix it.  Sometimes I am so reluctant to get help that I put blinders on and pretend the problem isn’t there.  I have never yet seen that work – no problem has ever magically corrected itself.  It only gets worse.

I never thought learning about sheep could ever be interesting, let alone soul-shaking, but it was.

I have always known this is one of my quirks.  I just didn’t realize how dangerous that mindset can really be.  That is, until I started studying sheep.  I was recently preparing to teach on a fantastic book by W. Phillip Keller: “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”.  Mr. Keller spent a lifetime raising and shepherding sheep.  He also has a deep heart for relationship with God. His book is an amazing look at the 23rd Psalm through the eyes of a shepherd, not through the eyes of a modern-comfort kind of girl like me.   I never thought learning about sheep could ever be interesting, let alone soul-shaking, but it was.  I highly recommend it.

One of the more interesting ideas I learned about was that of a “cast down” sheep. 

One of the more interesting ideas I learned about was that of a “cast down” sheep.  Sheep are top-heavy creatures.  It doesn’t take much for them to topple over and get stuck.  “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” seems to be a sheep motto.  Sheep that are in this situation are called “cast” or “cast down”.  But for sheep, this is not just an embarrassing moment – it is deadly.  A sheep that is cast will start to struggle, but the more they struggle, the more stuck they get.  Then gasses start to build up inside them, pushing on connective tissue and cutting off blood supply.  Soon, they lose circulation and feeling to their legs, and it becomes impossible to stand, even if they could somehow get right-side-up again.  Sheep in this situation can die in hours.

There are three main ways that a sheep can become cast down.

There are three main ways that a sheep can become cast down: soft places, too much fat, and wool.  The first one – soft places – relates to the sheep’s desire to find the softest, most comfortable place to rest.  They will seek out a small hollow or depression in the ground, knowing the earth is softer there.  But as they stretch out and relax, they tend to roll down into the bottom of the depression, where they get stuck.

The easy way so quickly turns into the sinful way.

How much is that like us!  Sometimes we take the softer, easier way.  But that way is on a slippery slope.  As we relax into it, we start to slide downhill, until we, too, become stuck.  Sin is often like that.  Sometimes it is easier to keep that extra change from the store instead of pointing out that the clerk made an error.  Or it seems easier to stay at those questionable movies than to draw attention by leaving.  The easy way so quickly turns into the sinful way.

Putting something before God is always a sure way to get spiritually cast down and stuck.

Another way sheep get cast down is when they become too fat.  Overindulgence gets their center of gravity even more off balance.  Tipping over gets easier with every little pound.  Sometimes we are like that, too.  Those things that we start to love way too much can become idols that get us stuck in habits that are not honoring to God.  I love food, for example.  And I especially love it after a stressful event or day.  It is comforting to eat all of that stuff that is bad for me.  But not only is it physically unhealthy for me, it is spiritually unhealthy too.  I turn to an idol when I turn to food to get me through a hard time instead of turning to God. Putting something before God is always a sure way to get spiritually down cast and stuck.

They get cast down by the weight of their own wool.

The final way that sheep get cast down it the most interesting one to me personally.  They get cast down by the weight of their own wool.  As the coats of wool on sheep grow, they get very heavy.  Like fat, they can throw off the center of balance and make the sheep prone to topple over and get stuck.  Not only that, but wool picks up everything – sticks, small rocks, dirt, insects, manure – you name it.  All of that not only makes the sheep filthy, but it adds to the weight.

Wool is a symbol of self-sufficiency, of not needing God but being able to do everything for ourselves. 

Wool is even more interesting if we look at it in the Bible.  Deuteronomy 22:11 forbids the mixing together of wool and linen.  There is also the idea that priests are not supposed to wear wool when they are serving in the tabernacle or the temple, as seen in Ezekiel 44:17.  Why would there be a prohibition against wearing wool?  Because wool is a symbol of self-sufficiency, of not needing God but being able to do everything for ourselves.  The other main source of material for clothing for priests – linen – was a symbol of moral purity and spiritual blessings.  Isn’t that interesting that God forbid mixing our own self-sufficiency (wool) with His blessings (linen)?  We are blessed and made pure through something besides our own work and our own self-sufficiency.   We are blessed and made pure only through Him.

The only way to keep sheep from being cast down by their wool is to shear it off.

Let’s return to the sheep with their heavy, filthy wool.  The only way to keep them from being cast down is to shear it off.  Shearing is a miserable process for sheep and shepherd alike.  The sheep have to be caught, restrained, and have the wool clipped off.  All of the rounding up, handling, and restraint is really frightening to the sheep since they have no control of the situation and no idea why they are being rounded up.  Also, there is a possibility of small cuts or scrapes if the sheep struggle while being sheared.  The shepherd has to use a lot of physical strength to hold the sheep, and much patience and care to avoid hurting their skin.   

Sometimes we have so much self-sufficiency that we are in danger.

We are not so different from the sheep.  Sometimes we have so much self-sufficiency that we are in danger.  The only way to help us is for our Shepherd to remove it.  Maybe He takes us away from our comfort zone.  He could remove our job, distance us from support systems, make us lean on Him during a health crisis.  Any time we have made our own works and our own ways much more important than God, expect to have a little shearing.  And yes, it will be frightening and uncomfortable.  But like sheep, if we learn to relax into the process and trust the Shepherd, we will have a lot less chance of getting hurt.

Imagine the freedom and lightness we would have if we let someone else shoulder the burdens we take on. 

The beauty of it is that when the shearing is done, the weight is gone.  After being sheared, sheep run in joy because all of the heavy, dirty wool is gone, and they are free and light.  Trying to do everything our way by ourselves is a very heavy weight.  Imagine the freedom and lightness we would have if we let someone else shoulder the burdens we take on.  Imagine what it would feel like as we ran, happy and free, while the Shepherd carried off the heavy wool.  It is what Jesus was saying in Matthew 11:30 when He said His burden is light.

When we are down and stuck, He comes to us and raises us back up. 

Besides taking the heavy, dirty wool, shepherds do something else for their sheep.  Anytime they see a cast down sheep, they lift them back up and put them on their feet.  Not only that, but they support their weight and rub their legs until the feeling returns, the gas disappears, and the sheep can stand on its own feet again.  Our Shepherd, Jesus, does the same thing for us.  When we are down and stuck, He comes to us and raises us back up.  He strengthens and heals us so we can stand on our feet again.  He stays with us through the entire process.

Shepherds know that predators are watching for cast down sheep. 

Even more than that, He is constantly watching over us.  Shepherds know that predators are watching for cast down sheep.  The sheep are very easy to attack when they are down.  If a sheep is missing, the shepherd will run – looking for it, fearing that it is cast down.  He will rescue it quickly before the predators get to it.  Jesus does that for us, too.  When we are cast down, Satan takes full advantage of that.  He starts attacking us with guilt and shame and hopelessness.  He tries to make us think we are lost and we can never be okay again.  But Jesus is looking for cast down sheep.  When he sees us stumble and fall down, He is right there, ready to lift us up.  When He talked about leaving the 99 to find the one missing, He was probably referring to a cast down sheep who was in danger of predators and death.

In the moments when we are cast down and trapped and terrified, we tend to fight.

Unfortunately, there is one area where we are even worse than sheep.  When a scared sheep sees their shepherd, they immediately calm down.  If that terrified sheep is one that is cast down, their calmness on seeing the shepherd makes it so much easier for the shepherd to lift them back up and help them.  We are not like sheep.  In the moments when we are cast down and trapped and terrified, we tend to fight.  We want to run away or struggle harder.  Maybe we try to hide our difficulties from our Shepherd. 

What if, when we realize we are cast down, we cast our eyes on our Shepherd and calm down?

What if we could be more like sheep?  What if, when we realize we are cast down, we cast our eyes on our Shepherd and calm down?  What if we cast all of our fear and trouble and weight and concern onto Him instead of fighting against Him?  What if we look to Him in trust, take a deep breath, and allow Him to lift us and get the circulation back into our soul?  We need to practice doing a little more casting our cares on Jesus and little less following the paths that got us cast down in the first place.

What a loving and constantly attentive Shepherd we have!

What a loving and constantly attentive Shepherd we have!  I especially love His long-suffering and patience.  I have a big problem with wool.  I always try to get myself out of my messes alone first.  I dig my holes deeper.  And yet, even with that my Shepherd is always at my side, waiting for me to cast my eyes on Him so I can calm down and hand the problem to Him.  My goal out of looking at sheep is to learn to look at the Shepherd a little bit earlier.  And to cast my burdens on Him before they get me cast down.  To help me with that, I am going to keep the following verses in mind this week.  I invite you to join me.

Psalm 55:22: “Cast your cares upon the Lord and He will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you.”

I hope today’s message touched your heart, increased your understanding, and encouraged you.  Praying the peace and comfort of Christ Jesus on your life.