Bogus was a sheep dog that worked on a large sheep ranch in Montana many years ago. Puppies born on sheep ranches are trained from a young age to obey the herder and to guard the sheep at all times.
When Bogus was six months old, he had the looks of a fine sheep dog - smart, strong and eager to please his master. He was given to a herder to train at a sheep camp in the mountains, far from the home ranch.
This herder turned out to be cruel and mean. Another herder who worked for the ranch, named Sandy, found out about it. Sandy’s sheep camp had been near to Bogus’s camp all winter, and the dog had shown up several times whimpering with a rope around its neck. Something was wrong.
Sandy asked the boss if he could trade dogs with the cruel herder. The boss said yes, so Bogus became Sandy’s dog. This made the other herder angry, and he quit working for that ranch.
Sandy won the dog’s trust and love slowly. Bogus worked hard and took good care of Sandy’s sheep until one day when a bear came into the herd. Sandy got his gun and fired a shot at the bear. Frightened by the gunshot, Bogus took off into the hills, leaving the sheep to scatter. He didn’t come back for a whole day. Sandy lost two lambs to the bear that day.
Sandy remembered finding an old bullet wound on Bogus’s hip which had proved Sandy’s fear that the other herder had shot at the dog. But a gun-shy dog is no use as a sheep dog. He can’t be depended on, so Sandy had to get a new dog. The boss was planning to get rid of Bogus, but when Bogus saw the gun, he ran away again.
Many people don’t see that they are under Satan’s power. Those that do see can’t free themselves. God wants “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins” (Acts 26:1818To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18)). The victory over Satan has already been won at Calvary’s cross. “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:5757But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)).
All summer, as Sandy herded his sheep in the mountain pastures, he saw signs that Bogus was around, but he caught a glimpse of him only once.
One day, the flock startled a mother bear and her cubs in a high mountain meadow. One of Sandy’s dogs unwisely chased a cub, which made the mother bear angry. She chased the dog, which turned and headed straight for the sheep! Sandy quickly fired his gun at the bear. She turned and started toward him.
Sandy ran forward to take closer aim, but he tripped and fell. The gun was knocked from his hands. He shut his eyes as the huge bear came charging on. Suddenly, he heard a familiar bark and snarl and looked up to see Bogus hurtling his body toward the mother bear! They fought, snarling, biting and clawing, each getting bloody wounds and gashes. Sandy reached for his gun and shot the bear.
Bogus tried to get up and come to Sandy but couldn’t because of his injuries. Sandy went to him and Bogus licked his hand, even while he still held the gun!
This story has a happy ending. The dog’s wounds soon healed and he worked for Sandy on into his old age, cured forever of the fear of guns that had made him useless earlier. We can see how the love that Bogus had for his master Sandy overcame his fear of guns and of his old cruel master. I’m sure the love between Bogus and Sandy was stronger than ever, after the dog proved his loyalty and saved Sandy’s life.
And your life can be happy and have a happy ending too. Once you accept God’s love and let Him take away your burden of sin and fear, you will want to please Him and serve Him forever. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear. . . . We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:1819).
ML-04/19/1998