Many years ago, I was taking my morning walk at the base of Schiehallion Mountain. This is one of the highest mountains in Scotland. As I walked, I met a shepherd whom I knew, a kind Christian man.
I noticed he had his plaid wrapped closely around him. Now some of you may not know what a “plaid” is. It’s a long, rectangular piece of woolen fabric that is usually worn over the left shoulder. Inside his plaid was something that he was carrying very carefully.
“What do you have wrapped up in your plaid, Malcolm?” I asked.
“It’s a poor, left-behind lamb,” he answered. “When I was walking my rounds this morning, I found it lying on the cold ground. It had been left behind and would soon have died. I picked it up, wrapped it in my warm plaid, and now I’m carrying it home.”
“And what do you plan to do with it?” I asked.
“I will feed it and take care of it,” said the kind shepherd, “and it will soon be one of the flock.”
And that’s just what Malcolm did. He took good care of it, and the little left-behind lamb soon grew up and became one of the liveliest and strongest sheep of his flock. If my kind friend had not found the lamb and picked it up, it would have died. But instead, he carried it home and placed it in the safety and warmth of his barn where he could feed it and care for it.
Have any of you children ever been called a lamb? Probably not, but that’s just what you are—a little lamb that needs lots of love and care. Many of you have parents that take good care of you and love you. Even when you sometimes do things that are wrong and have to be punished, they still love you. But those wrong things you do are called sin.
Have you heard that there is a kind and loving Shepherd in heaven who wants to rescue you from the cold, unfriendly world of sin? His name is Jesus, and we read about Him in the Bible. “I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep” (John 10:1111I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)). This good Shepherd loves you so much that He died on the cross to save lambs (like you) and sheep (grown-ups) from their sins. That opens the way for any lamb or sheep to go to heaven. It cost this good Shepherd His life to be able to save lambs and sheep who are lost in their sins.
Our friend Malcolm didn’t have to die to save the little lamb he found. He carried it all the way safely home and into his warm barn where the little lamb would recover and become healthy again. And that’s just what Jesus, our good Shepherd, wants to do for boys and girls. Will you let Him save you from your sins? He has a happy home in heaven waiting for you, if you will let Him wash your sins away. Just tell him you are a sinner and want Him to wash away your sins. He will answer your prayer immediately. Then you won’t be a left-behind lamb any longer. You’ll be a saved lamb ready to go to heaven someday.
ML-08/09/2015