IF you could come with me, dear children, to a little cottage in the Merse, overlooking one of its swiftly-running streams which flow down from the hills, we would find living there, a dear old man who loves the Lord Jesus Christ. He and his wife live together happily there, serving God, and seeking to be His messengers to all around them. In his early days, he was a shepherd on the hills. For many years he had the care of sheep and lambs, and so learned to know their ways. One day, he was taking care of them up among the hills by the side of a stream. You know that, in rainy weather, little streams, which in summer you could easily cross over, become swift raging floods. The flood of waters came down from the hills with a rush and a roar, and swept away some of his sheep which were feeding by its side. One little lamb had got across before the flood came, and had skipped up to the top of a rock overhanging the stream. There it was safe, but there was no food nor shelter for it. The kind shepherd got all the others safely out of the water, but he could not get at that little lamb, as the stream had become so broad and dangerous. He could not leave it there to perish with cold and hunger. He knew the stream was dangerous, so he got in by the bank and crept slowly along, till he got opposite the rock where the little lamb was. He saw the danger of trying to cross, but determined to brave it all, to save his lamb. He waded in, deeper and deeper, and then threw himself across the deep part. Instantly, the water was up to his chin, and would soon have carried him down, only, he caught hold of a piece of broom growing under the rock, and just managed to pull himself out safely. Then he climbed up to the little lamb and brought it down-threw it into the stream before him, and sprang after it; being carried down by the flood after the lamb. He then seized it and struggled through to the other side, which he safely reached, Oh! how glad he was when he had got the lamb safe.
Now, dear children, if you will read the 15th chapter of Luke, you will find the Lord Jesus Christ telling a parable like to this story, and explaining it to mean the joy of God in finding and saving lost sinners such as we are. The Shepherd there, and in this story, is like the Lord Jesus who speaks of himself, in John 10:1111I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (John 10:11), "as the Good Shepherd who giveth His life for the sheep." Try and find out from the Bible what the Lord Jesus did to save lost sinners. Then ask yourself-"Has He saved me?”