Two Legs And A Piece Of An Ear

 Amos 3:12  This is what the LORD says: “A shepherd who tries to rescue a sheep from a lion’s mouth will recover only two legs or a piece of an ear.

The shepherd can hear the snarling and it awakens him. A sheep has wandered out of the pen, and now a lion has grabbed him. The shepherd runs to the noise and hears the cries of a sheep in distress. It is all but over, the powerful lion has started pulling apart the sheep. Without any regard for his own safety, the shepherd grabs hold of the back legs of the sheep, trying to wrestle the sheep from the lion. As he pulls, the legs come off in his hands. He reaches towards the lion once again, and all he ends up with is a piece of ear.

Two legs and a piece of ear. Not much, but it will be offered to the owner of the sheep as proof of an animal attack, not negligence. The owner of the sheep can’t do anything but throw away the pieces.

There are times we all wander out of God’s safety. We branch out on our own and get attacked by the lions of this world: heartache, pain, broken hearts. Soon we are left with nothing left of our lives but two bloody legs and a piece of an ear. Not much, garbage to the world, but to God it is enough to rebuild your life.

Pastor Chris McMillan put it best: “In my hands a paintbrush is a doodle brush but in the hands of Michelangelo it is the Sistine Chapel.  In my hands two leg bones and a piece of an ear are worthless, but in God’s hands they are the building blocks of a new life.”

So don’t give up when this life tears you down. You may be nothing more than two legs and a piece of an ear to the world, but to God you are a life that he can rebuild, restore, and renew.

Today’s Readings: Amos 1-3; Psalm 80; 2 Timothy 4

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