I FEEL sure all of my young readers like to look at sheep, and will be pleased to see this week that we have a beautiful picture of sheep gathered in a barn to be fed by their kind shepherd.
There are many needful and beautiful lessons we may learn in connection with sheep, and particularly so, as the Lord Jesus while here upon earth, likened His own followers to sheep, and Himself as their shepherd.
In Luke 15:3-10,3And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. 8Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. (Luke 15:3‑10) the Lord speaks in a parable of a sheep that was lost and the fact of it being lost caused the shepherd to leave ninety and nine in the wilder ness, and go after that one that was lost until he found it.
How this shows the care and love of the shepherd for the one that had gone astray. He is not occupied with those who are not lost, but the lost one, and when he finds it, he lays it on his own shoulders—not some one’s else, but his own—and carries it home rejoicing.
Ah, dear young reader, this is a picture of the Lord Jesus Himself, in His great love for lost sinners who take their place as lost but those who think themselves very good, and think they don’t need a Saviour like the Pharisees and Scribes, He likens to the ninety and nine who are left in the wilderness, who need no repentance. They found fault with Him because He received sinners and was eating with them, and their fault-finding afforded Him an opportunity to let them know how He loved the lost sinner. And how could they blame Him when any shepherd would go after his loss sheep?
Ah, let me ask you, dear reader, have you taken that place as a lost sheep, and allowed the Lord Jesus to take you and put you, as it were, on His shoulders and carry you home? If you take your place as a lost sinner, Jesus will take you. He is the One that is seeking after you, if you are still lost; and He is willing and ready to carry you safely to the end and thus save you forever.
If we can see tender care of the shepherd for the sheep, as in the picture before us, there is nothing there that can be compared with the tender love of the Lord Jesus for He has given His life for His sheep and will never give them up but will land them in the glory with Himself forever.
Trust Him with your soul’s salvation and rejoice that it is His strength that will, carry you to the end, and He will care for you in all your needs and manifest that same tender love and care in every detail of your life.
Messages of God’s Love 10/27/1907