Reading Time: 2 minutes
“Dad, thanks for bringing me to the fair. This has been a great day!” David exclaimed.
“You’re welcome,” Dad replied. “After visiting the different animal pens, which one was most interesting?”
“Probably the sheep because we were just talking in Sabbath school yesterday about how Jesus is our Shepherd. So I was curious about what sheep and shepherds are like. That’s why I talked to that guy who had several animals in the competition.”
“So, what did you learn?” Dad asked.
“Lots! Did you know that sheep like to stay together in the flock? The more they sense danger, the tighter their group is. Man, I wish our goats were more like sheep and didn’t scatter so much. That guy said that he just calls, and they come to the sound of his voice. Then he heads back and they follow him to the paddock. Imagine if we tried to do that with our goats!
“Sheep are pretty smart too,” David continued. “If someone else goes into their pasture and calls to them, they just ignore him. They follow only their shepherd’s voice.”
“That is interesting,” Dad said. “How does that fit with what you’ve been studying in Sabbath school?”
David thought for a moment. “Well, I think I need to be more like a sheep and stick close to other sheep, which would be my family and church friends who all love Jesus. I also think I need to listen for Jesus’ voice when I’m making decisions.”
“That sounds good, but how would you do it?”
“Hmmmm,” David responded. “By reading my Bible more often so that I will better know His voice, and by praying and asking Him about problems and decisions when they come up.”
“That sounds good,” Dad said. “I think it’s also important to remember just how much Jesus loves us. Do you recall that verse about Jesus being the Good Shepherd?”
“I think so,” David answered. “‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep’” (John 10:11).
Dad smiled. “That’s right. But how about Isaiah 53:7? ‘He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.’”
“I hadn’t thought about Jesus being compared to a sheep,” David said. “Only about how He is like a shepherd.”
“Can you imagine being taunted, accused, beaten, knowing you’re in the right and they’re in the wrong and you’re going to die anyway?” Dad asked. “Yet Jesus was meek. That means He didn’t argue back, didn’t threaten — just accepted His Father’s will. What can you take away from that example?”
David thought again. “Being a sheep is a lot harder than I thought. I’m not good at silently accepting consequences, even when I’m in the wrong. I have a lot to learn.”
- David Discovers God’s Presence - May 2, 2024
- David Discovers Real Courage - February 20, 2024
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