WHAT a pretty flock of sheep we see in our picture; their wool looks so white and clean in the sunshine. The faithful old shepherd is leading them to some distant grassy hill of which he knows. He has cared for sheep for many years; see how kind he is to carry this little lamb which could not keep up with the rest of the flock. What would he do if one of these sheep would stray away from the flock? I think he would hunt until he could find it; then if it had fallen into a ditch or puddle of water, the crook at the end of his staff would help him to pull it out. How carefully he must have watched these little things, but he knows everyone and they know him. They cannot get mixed with other flocks, for each sheep wants to follow its own shepherd, and knows his voice.
Are you one of Jesus’ little lambs? You are His if you have been saved, and He is watching over you as faithfully as this shepherd is watching over his flock. Even if you become careless about Him and do not care to hear about Him nor be with His people, He will still follow you and speak to your heart and conscience. He will not let you go. Look up Matthew 18:1212How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? (Matthew 18:12) and 13 in your Bibles. If a human shepherd has such love and care for his sheep, how much greater the love of Jesus, the Great Shepherd, must be!
Be sure and listen to the voice of Jesus. He speaks to you through His word, the Bible. There are many voices in the world calling dear children away from Jesus. Satan puts it in the hearts of many to lead children and young people into evil; He does not want you to think of Jesus and is pleased to have you interested in just anything else. But Jesus says, “MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE, AND I KNOW THEM, AND THEY FOLLOW ME; AND I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE; AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH, NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY HAND.” John 10:2727My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27).
ML 05/19/1912