It is always a pleasant sight to see the flock of sheep and lambs brought home. I once watched an old shepherd gathering his flock together. He had no difficulty with the sheep, but it was the lambs that gave him trouble. They were coming down the mountain side, and had to cross a small stream.
The shepherd walked before, and all the sheep followed him, but, when it came to the lambs, he had to go over and over again, and fetch them in his arms, one by one, as they were afraid to cross the lake alone, and stood bleating until the kind shepherd had carried them all over.
Then he put them for the night into the fold, and gathered the lambs together in a warm spot, and covered the very young ones with his own plaid, for the nights in Scotland are often damp and cold.
Well, when I had seen all this, what do you think came into my mind?
Dear children, I thought of you, and of the Good Shepherd, who giveth “His life for the sheep,” and the old shepherd reminded me of Him, of whom it was said, “He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom.” Isaiah 40:1111He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:11).
Jesus called a little child to Him—it does not say a wise man, or a great man, but “a little child.” It is not His will that one of these little Ones should perish. What does it all mean? Just this: Christ loves the little ones, and He wants them to love Him while they are young, before they go astray or away from Him, as the lost sheep in the parable.
Give special attention to this, dear children, because, if Jesus is the Good Shepherd, He must bestow care on the lambs as well as on the sheep. Some of you may be afraid, as the lambs were afraid to cross the stream, but Jesus is waiting to carry you safely through the waters—He will take you safely to the other side—and you have only to trust yourself in His arms, and He will carry you to the fold, where the pastures are forever green, and the still waters cool. As David says, in Psalm 23, though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you need fear no evil, for He is with you.
Well, do you see that Jesus calls you? The text says, “And Jesus called a little child”—even so He calls you. God does not want you to be lost, for, “The Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.” Matthew 18:1111For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. (Matthew 18:11).
Will you, dear children, answer the Shepherd’s call at once? Or will you wait until He has to seek for you as a stray sheep, weary with wandering out of the true fold, foot-sore and sad of heart?
ML 01/25/1931