One evening, after a gospel preaching, a young woman returned, desiring to speak with me. After a few minutes’ conversation, I found that, though she did believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the one who had died to save her, and put away her sins by His precious, atoning blood, yet she was not at rest about her eternal salvation and security, saying that she was afraid she would lose, or let Him go. I asked her,
“Yes, I can.”
Seeing that her difficulty was, that, though she had faith in Him as the one who had died for her, and rose again, she had not faith in Him as the living omnipotent Saviour and Shepherd of the sheep in the bright glory of God above, I said,
“Suppose you could see a shepherd coming across yonder field, with a little, strayed lamb in his arms, tell me, would the shepherd be carrying the lamb, or the lamb carrying the shepherd?”
“Why, of course, the shepherd would be carrying the lamb,” was her reply.
“Yes, of course,” I said. “Now tell me which are you, the lamb or the shepherd?”
“The lamb,” she replied.
“Yes, to be sure; and do you not see the lamb does not hold the shepherd, but the ‘good’ and the ‘great’ Shepherd, the Lord Jesus, holds in His omnipotent arms the little lamb, and carries it safely home to glory?”
“Yes, I see,” she said, “and I can rest now quietly and safely in Him.”
“Thank God,” I said; “and now let us bow down on our knees, and praise and bless Him for His boundless grace to us in giving Himself for us, and for His infinite power and might in thus carrying us safely through all the dangers of the desert way to His glory and rest above.”
We did so, and she arose and went on her way, happy and rejoicing.
May God, in His wondrous ways of wisdom and love, use this brief story to establish many of His sheep and lambs in the infinite love and power of our “Lord Jesus Christ,” as the only “Saviour” and “Great Shepherd” of His flock. (Luke 15:4-64What 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. (Luke 15:4‑6); Isa. 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); Heb. 13:2020Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, (Hebrews 13:20)).