On Being a Sheep

This past Sunday I spoke on Psalm 100.  I loved talking about this text and the means by which we give thanks to God.   However, given this focus, I was unable to look in depth at one part of this text that is absolutely incredible to me.  Verse 3 ends with, "We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture."  This seemingly simple statement is deeper than what my feeble mind can wrap itself around.   I want to examine this in a little detail.
The first statement - "We are His people" seems so simple, but I think that we fail to realize the depth of it.  We are His people, not only in the sense that He created us, but that we belong to Him.  This is a statement of possession even more than it is a statement of identity.  If you are a sheep that is a part of a shepherd's pasture, you belong to that shepherd.  Likewise, as His people, we belong to Him.  This concept is found throughout the Scriptures.  And, this is especially true for believers.  Galatians 2:20 reminds us that the life we now live we do not live for ourselves, but we live for and in and through our faith in the Son of God.  Ponder for a moment that you are a part of God's possession.  As I think about this, there are two things that this means for me.  The first seems negative - I do not belong to myself.  I am owned by God.  I do not have freedom to do whatever I please, I must please my Master, the one who owns me.  This is contrary to my western ideas of self and how important I really am.  I have a hard time being owned.  I want to own myself, to own my life, to own the world around me and make it mine.  But God is very clear, I am His.  I am His people, the Sheep of His pasture. 
The second thing that this means for me is related to the second half of this segment of Scripture.  The second statement is that we are ". . . the sheep of His pasture."  And in this we find the much more positive portion of the text in our minds.  We belong to the flock of God and therefore get to bed down in His pasture.  And his pastures are green and lush and fulfilling and gorgeous and everything that we His sheep would desire.  We are blessed.  We get the joy of living where God lives, and we get the joy of this for eternity!  I get to rest in the pasture of God for eternity.  This is indeed a tremendous blessing.  And it is glorious.
May I remind us however that the second benefit is contingent upon the first statement.  The only sheep that get to bed down in the pasture of their master are those that are owned by the master.  He will protect and heal and guide and direct, but only when we submit ourselves to being owned. 
Can you imagine a sheep, standing outside of a luscious green pasture, refusing to go in because he refuses to be stamped with the mark that tells all that he belongs to his master.  Sure the mark may be painful, sure it may lead through the valley of the shadow of death.  It is true that the Master may place you in situations that you wish you did not have to face.  But it is within the right of a perfectly loving and holy Master to do so.  You belong to Him. 
So often, I, as a follower of Jesus, want all of the blessing, but very little of the belonging.  I want to be rewarded, but do not want to be commanded.  I want God to work His perfect will, but do not want to surrender mine.  I want to be protected, but I do not want to be confined.  And the psalmist reminds me in a simple statement that becomes so profound that I am ". . .His people and the sheep of His pasture." He reminds me that this is more than identity, it is a statement of possession.  I am a sheep.  Stubborn and prone to wander far too close to danger on my own, I am His sheep, and He will lovingly draw me back to Himself.  How joyous to realize sooner rather than later the joys of living within the fold that God has given me!  I belong to Jesus!