Growing up in the American South, I had many friends who lived on working farms. I grew up having a casual knowledge of cows, horses, and even hogs (domesticated and feral). I spent enough time listening to string together a relatively intelligent question and perhaps a statement about said livestock. I possessed a very surface level of knowledge, but I could at least follow along with a conversation.

Do you know what I didn’t know anything about? Sheep. I had a mental picture of those cute, fluffy white creatures we see on Christmas cards, but that was all until a trip to Ethiopia opened my eyes. Turns out sheep are stupid. Sheep get lost and can’t find their way home. Sheep will not walk through tall weeds, thinking they are impassable. I know this because I watched an entire flock of sheep come to a dead stop in front of a line of tall weeds. The sheep in front stopped so quickly that the ones behind ran into their back ends. The sheep in front refused to budge until the young shepherd boy ran to the front of the herd and started stamping down a path wide enough for the sheep to walk through. He had to “break” a path for them to walk. Sheep are unintelligent, and without a shepherd, they are vulnerable to attack, disease,  and are a danger to themselves.

A few weeks ago, as I read through the book of Micah, I came across a verse that seemed to jump off the page. In verse 13 of chapter 2, we read, “The Breaker [The Messiah] will go up before them. They will break through, pass in through the gate, and go out through it, the Lord at their head” (Amplified Bible). Immediately, I had a mental picture of that little shepherd boy “breaking” a path for his sheep. I could visualize him stamping down those weeds and creating a pathway for the sheep to walk on. I spent quite a few moments mulling over that verse and its application to my life.

In context, the verse is a Messianic prophesy of God redeeming His people, leading them back home, and restoring the Kingdom of David. That is true. I also read some Bible commentaries, hoping to deepen my understanding of this verse that had lept off the page, capturing my attention as I read the chapter. All the commentaries affirmed that this is a prophetic verse about the coming Messiah. Some also had a different take on what was broken in the verse. One commentator shared that the word picture was the Shepherd coming to a stone sheep pen and forcing the stone gate open, with the sheep forcefully spilling forth to follow their Shepherd. As I continued to meditate on the verse and the vivid image God had given me, I realized that the more forceful moving of stones and the shepherd boy tramping down a swath of tall weeds to make a path both have applications in my life.

There have been times when I desperately needed The Breaker to forcefully break into a situation in my life. There have been specific times that I prayed He would “break down gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron (Psalm 107:16) of situations I found myself in with no hope of escape. Situations that held me as if I were a prisoner and I was powerless to escape. Situations where I needed miraculous intervention. I have never been in jail or prison, and I plan on that statement remaining true! However, in Acts 12, we read the account of Peter being arrested and imprisoned until he could stand trial. As far as Herod was concerned, the outcome of Peter’s trial would be execution(Acts 12:1-5). However, scripture tells us that the church prayed earnestly while Peter was in jail. He could not have escaped, but God intervened. An angel of the Lord broke the chains off Peter and walked him through the gates of bronze. Because of prayer, The Breaker provided a way of escape.

Other times, I needed the kind and gentle action more in line with my memory of the young shepherd boy. Although the sheep suddenly stopped their progress when encountering the tall weeds, the young shepherd did not rebuke them. He did not raise his voice or punish the sheep. Knowing that sheep have limitations, fears, and sinful and stubborn natures, he kindly ran ahead and created a path for the sheep. Once the Shepherd had the pathway begun, he gently called to his sheep and led them through the barrier that had recently seemed impenetrable to the sheep. Our Savior, the Good Shepherd, knows our frame and remembers we are but dust (Psalm 103:14). He is gentle and compassionate with us, His children (Psalm 103:13). Jesus knows each of us and calls us to follow Him into safety. He goes before us and leads us in the path He made. We can trust our Shepherd and the path He has selected for us. Even when we run into an impenetrable barrier, Jesus goes before us. Sometimes, He is The Breaker who breaks the bronze gate and cuts our prison’s iron bars. Sometimes, He is The Breaker who creates a path through the tall weeds of life and gently calls us to follow Him. Either way, He is trustworthy.

This week, when you encounter a situation that tries to hold you captive, call out to your Shepherd. Tell Him about your fears, your weaknesses, and where you failed. Agree with Him, calling those things sin that He has called sin. Ask for forgiveness. Tell Him you need His presence, provision, and protection. I promise The Breaker is able and willing to act in your life! He loves you and has already done everything required to redeem you. He will move in strength in your life, creating a path that leads you safely through any situation. It’s what He does. He is The Breaker!