Sheep and Shepherd

Bible Reading: Psalm 23

“Get up, Logan!” called Grandpa. “The sheep are coming!”

Logan instantly jumped out of bed, pulled on his jeans and shirt, and grabbed his tablet. He was visiting his grandparents in Montana and was fascinated to hear about how shepherds led their sheep up into the mountains. “It’s quite a sight to see and hear,” Grandpa had told him, so Logan was eager to get some pictures.

As soon as Logan opened the front door, he heard the sheep. “It’s a sheep choir!” he said with a grin. “Their baaas are all different.” He saw a shepherd walking in front of the sheep and two sheepdogs running alongside. Logan quickly ran out into the path and aimed his tablet at the coming sheep to take a picture.

“Out of the way!” the shepherd called, motioning for Logan to move.

“Logan, come back!” Grandpa said. “If a stranger gets in front of the sheep, they can lose their focus on the shepherd and scatter.”

Logan hurried back to the house and snapped several pictures from the porch. “That was cool,” he said after the last sheep was out of sight. “I guess sheep can be easily distracted, can’t they? That’s why they need to keep their eyes on the shepherd.” Logan frowned. “The Bible compares Christians to sheep, doesn’t it? Does that mean we’re easily distracted too?”

Grandpa smiled. “We certainly can be,” he said. “That’s why we need to stay focused on our Shepherd—Jesus. He saved us from sin and promises to care for us and provide for our needs, and He’s the one we should always follow. When you feel distracted and start to look elsewhere for solutions to your problems, let the sheep remind you to keep your eyes on Jesus. Bring all your problems to Him in prayer and trust Him to lead you where He wants you to go.”

“Okay, Grandpa,” said Logan. He pulled up a picture of the sheep and shepherd he had taken on his tablet and showed it to his grandpa. “I’ll save this as the background on my tablet to help me remember to keep my focus on Jesus.” • Linda M. Weddle

How About You?

Where’s your focus? Are you looking to Jesus to guide you in your daily life? Do you go to Him in prayer and seek His help in tough situations? If you know Him as your Savior, He’s your Shepherd, and He promises to take care of you. There’s nothing in this world that can give you the peace and joy He does. Keep your eyes on the Shepherd and trust Him to lead you.

Today’s Key Verse:
John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Keep your focus on Jesus