All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way. Isaiah 53:6
Notice what is true of all of us—”all we like sheep have gone astray.” Isaiah already described our condition in verse 5: transgression speaks of our defiance, iniquity speaks of our twistedness, chastisement speaks of our guilt, and our need to be healed speaks of our woundedness.
Now God gives us a picture to illustrate. Here is what our defiance, twistedness, guilt, and woundedness look like in practice: we are all like wandering sheep.
It is easy to get the idea our sins are less than the sins of others because we are trying to live for God. But Isaiah humbles us. We who love the Lord have this in common with all humanity—we all go astray. Isaiah includes himself: “All we like sheep have gone astray” (italics added).
Then Isaiah tells us what is true of each of us: “we have turned—every one—to his own way.” All of us have in common that we are like sheep who go astray. But each of us has his or her own way of straying.
Your way of straying from God will be different from others. For some it is pride, and for others it is lust. For some it is greed, and for others it is laziness.
Sheep go astray in different directions. They wander off on their own. So, if you have drifted from God’s flock, it may be you are wandering away from the Shepherd.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way” (53:6). This is the truth about every person. We are all like wandering sheep, who, apart from the Shepherd, would wander off to our own destruction.
What is your distinct way of straying from God? Talk to God about this, and ask a trusted Christian friend, if you need help.
