
Me: Sheep are interesting.
Prodigal: These sheep certainly are.
This is from the book God Will Make a Way: Stories of Hope
A man who had lived in the Middle East for quite some time and was very well acquainted with the shepherds in the nearby hills was out riding his horse one day when he came to a spring of water. He stopped to rest and shortly, a shepherd came down a steep mountain path near him, his flock of sheep following behind. Not long after, another shepherd with another flock came down to the water by another path, and after awhile a third. The three flocks mingled together, so that the man began to wonder how each shepherd was ever going to find his own sheep again.
At last one of the shepherds arose and called, “Men-ah”-which is Arabic for “follow”–and his sheep came out from the larger flock and followed him back into the mountains. The man noticed that the shepherd didn’t even turn around to count those that followed. Then the second shepherd got up and called out to this sheep, “Men-ah!” and those that belonged to his flock left that others and followed him back up the path.
The man was intrigued by what he saw and he said to the third shepherd, “I think I could make your sheep follow me.”
“I doubt it,” the shepherd replied.
“Give me your turban, your cloak, and your crook,” the man challenged,” and we’ll see.” He put on the shepherd’s clothing, took the crook in his hand, stood up where the sheep could see him and called out in his best Arabic, “Men-ah! Men-ah!” Not one sheep took any notice of him.
The man asked the shepherd if the sheep ever followed anybody but him. The shepherd replied, “The only time a sheep will make a mistake and follow a stranger is when it gets sick.”
It is only when we become sick with sin in our souls that we fall prey to the enemy’s call. As long as we are following the voice of the Lord, we are safe and blessed.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. John 10:27-28 NKJV
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org