Anna was just four years old when her father and mother took her for her first visit to a farm. Soon they were busy talking to the farmer, and little Anna set off on her own to visit the sheep.
“Here, lamb, here, lamb,” she called as she chased the curly-haired animals. But the sheep all ran off and then stood watching her from the other side of the field.
Finally Anna stopped running after them and stood quietly looking at the sheep she could not catch. Now it was the sheep’s turn to be curious. One of the bigger, bolder lambs came over and sniffed Anna. Anna pulled back. The sheep reached out with its tongue and licked her hand. Anna didn’t like that and called her mother, “Maamaa.” All the sheep pricked up their ears. The lamb licked Anna again. Again Anna cried, “Maamaa.” Now all the sheep began to crowd around this strange creature that talked like they did. Soon the whole flock encircled her as she stood crying for her mother, “Maamaa, Maamaa.” Poor little Anna was very scared.
Have you ever felt uncomfortable among Christians? Maybe you can talk like a Christian, but perhaps you don’t really belong to the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus. To become one of His sheep you must be born again. Each of us has been born once into a human family, but we must also be born into God’s family to become a Christian. When we truthfully tell the Lord Jesus that we’ve done wrong and that we need His forgiveness of our sins, He will forgive us and give us a new life, His life. Then we become one of His children, one of His sheep.
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine.... 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 10:14,27-2814I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. (John 10:14)
27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:27‑28)).
Hearing what he thought was a sheep bleating, the farmer interrupted his conversation with Anna’s parents and said, “Whatever could be the matter with the sheep? I’ll go and see.”
The farmer hurried over to the flock with Anna’s parents following along behind. They were very surprised and amused to discover the trouble. The farmer made his way through the flock and picked up the unhappy little girl, who was very glad to go back to her mother’s arms.
Are you really one of the Lord Jesus’ sheep? Have you accepted Him as your Shepherd?
ML-10/11/2009