Protect the Herd - Guarding New Believers
Today’s Scripture - Acts 15:2
“And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.”
Cowboy Wisdom Devotional
Any rancher worth his salt knows you don’t leave newborn calves unattended. Predators circle at night, weather turns without warning, and without someone keeping watch, those little ones won’t make it till morning. A good cowhand doesn’t just bring life into the world and ride off — he stays close until those wobbly legs get steady. That’s a picture of what the church is supposed to look like.
Paul and Barnabas understood this down to the bone. When legalists moved in to load new believers down with rules that had nothing to do with salvation, Paul and Barnabas didn’t sit quietly by the campfire. They stepped in. They confronted. They debated. They saddled up and rode all the way to Jerusalem to settle the matter. There have always been groups of people who never led a soul to Christ, but who will find some new convert that someone else won to the Lord and do all they can to confuse that new believer with their heresy. Paul and Barnabas weren’t about to let that happen on their watch.
See, a lot of folks believe all God expects of the church is to win the lost. But that’s only part of the ride. Once people come to Christ, they need to be watched over as newborn babes in the faith. They need to be poured into, connected, and protected from those who would pile confusion on top of their new-found joy. You wouldn’t throw a greenhorn on a bronc his first day at the ranch. You’d walk him through it, show him the ropes, and make sure he doesn’t get thrown before he even learns to sit the saddle.
God hasn’t just called you to invite people through the gate. He’s called you to ride alongside them once they’re inside the fence. A good cowboy doesn’t just round up the herd and ride off. He stays close, watches for wolves, and makes sure every last one gets home safe.
“A good cowboy doesn’t just round up the herd and ride off. He stays close, watches
for wolves, and makes sure every last one gets home safe.”
Questions for Reflection
Is there a new believer in your life right now who could use encouragement and guidance? What’s one step you could take this week to pour into them?
Think about your own early days of faith. Who watched over you? How did their investment shape your walk with Christ?
Are there voices in your life — or in the lives of those you mentor — that are adding confusion to the simplicity of the gospel? How can you lovingly address that?
Prayer Focus
Father, give me eyes to see the new believers around me and a heart willing to invest in them. Help me not just to bring people to You, but to walk with them as they grow. Make me a protector of the faith, not an obstacle to it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
