\u201cDad, thanks for bringing me to the fair. This has been a great day!\u201d David exclaimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re welcome,\u201d Dad replied. \u201cAfter visiting the different animal pens, which one was most interesting?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cProbably 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\u2019s why I talked to that guy who had several animals in the competition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, what did you learn?\u201d Dad asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLots! 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\u2019t 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!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSheep are pretty smart too,\u201d David continued. \u201cIf someone else goes into their pasture and calls to them, they just ignore him. They follow only their shepherd\u2019s voice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat is interesting,\u201d Dad said. \u201cHow does that fit with what you\u2019ve been studying in Sabbath school?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
David thought for a moment. \u201cWell, 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\u2019 voice when I\u2019m making decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat sounds good, but how would you do it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHmmmm,\u201d David responded. \u201cBy 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat sounds good,\u201d Dad said. \u201cI think it\u2019s also important to remember just how much Jesus loves us. Do you recall that verse about Jesus being the Good Shepherd?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think so,\u201d David answered. \u201c\u2018I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep\u2019\u201d (John 10:11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dad smiled. \u201cThat\u2019s right. But how about Isaiah 53:7? \u2018He 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.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI hadn\u2019t thought about Jesus being compared to a sheep,\u201d David said. \u201cOnly about how He is like a shepherd.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan you imagine being taunted, accused, beaten, knowing you\u2019re in the right and they\u2019re in the wrong and you\u2019re going to die anyway?\u201d Dad asked. \u201cYet Jesus was meek. That means He didn\u2019t argue back, didn\u2019t threaten \u2014 just accepted His Father\u2019s will. What can you take away from that example?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
David thought again. \u201cBeing a sheep is a lot harder than I thought. I\u2019m not good at silently accepting consequences, even when I\u2019m in the wrong. I have a lot to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cDad, thanks for bringing me to the fair. This has been a great day!\u201d David exclaimed. \u201cYou\u2019re welcome,\u201d Dad replied. \u201cAfter visiting the different animal pens, which one was most interesting?\u201d \u201cProbably the sheep because we were just talking in Sabbath school yesterday about how Jesus is our Shepherd. So I was curious about what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1576,"featured_media":32076,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2598],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n