Yesterday morning we lost a wee little lamb that was but a few days old. It was unable to survive the cold wind that blew up overnight, and by the time we noticed that she was in trouble, she was so cold she was unable to eat. Nothing we attempted to do was able to save her life.
This reminded me of a time, several years ago, when a young lady was brightly saved. She was rejoicing in the Lord, and we who knew her rejoiced with her. Sadly, however, within one year this “young lamb” had slipped back into the world, having apparently given up her Christian profession. Was she truly saved in the first place? I believe she was, and I’m confident that we will see her in glory. What had happened to her? This “lamb” had also fallen victim to the “cold wind”—the wind of contention and bitterness among brethren.
Evidently, having some questions, she went to a brother in the assembly for counsel, unaware that he had a bitter, contentious spirit towards his brethren. Unable to answer her questions, he referred her to one who apparently did not value the truth of God revealed in His Word. The result of this sad misdirection was that the light of Christian profession in her life grew faint, flickered and then died.
What a heart-searching lesson I found in the death of our little lamb! Have I allowed in my heart a bitter spirit towards my brethren one which has been the cause of another child of God growing cold and falling away? May the Lord grant that this lesson will cause carefulness within me as He allows me the privilege of shepherding any of His lambs that they not be driven away by the cold, wintry blast of a contentious, bitter spirit.
“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:31-3231Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:31‑32)).
K. Heslop