A poor woman had brought up thirteen pet lambs. She gave each a different name, and they would follow her about and come at her call like children. One night she lost the whole thirteen, and could not get any clue as to their whereabouts. At last her suspicion fell upon a well-to-do neighboring farmer. She immediately went and communicated her loss to him. He denied all knowledge of the missing sheep, and said his were all marked; but the woman, not being satisfied, got a policeman, and went with him to the farmer.
The woman asked the farmer to gather the sheep together. As soon as they were closed in the barton, she called out the name of each of her sheep, and, to the astonishment and surprise of the farmer and policeman, seven of the missing sheep came out of the flock direct to where the woman stood. The result was, the farmer was tried, and found guilty, and suffered the penalty of the law by a term of imprisonment.
How this reminds us of the Lord’s own sheep and lambs, His redeemed ones.
ML 02/28/1943