The Young Ram – Conclusion

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

“HELP!! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!! SAVE ME, PLEASE!!”, the young ram cried out, but the only response he heard was the growls of the hungry predators perched on the ledge of the pit...seeking to devour him....

He cried out again, but weaker than before, “Mama, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you...I never wanted to hurt you...I just wasn’t thinking straight...”

And then...

“Oh, Shepherd...if only You could hear me...I’ve been so disobedient...now I know that everything You taught me was for my own good, and that You did everything out of love for me...but I just ignored You and went the other way...I NEED you, Shepherd!”

The young ram’s breathing grew shallow as he gave in to grief and despair...just waiting for the wolves to get up the nerve to jump in and take him.

“I am so sorry for what I have done, Shepherd. Please take care of my family for me...I love them so much.”

As the young ram closed his eyes and waited for death to come, a quietness spread through the forest.

The wolves whimpered and crept back...

The owls and crickets hushed their calls...

The trees and bushes stilled their swaying...

For the LIGHT was coming...

Was coming through the darkness...

The Marvelous Light...

The Glorious Light...

Gentle hands reached down into the pit and lifted the young ram...warmth flowed through his body as the healing came...but the Light was so bright, he could not even open his eyes...still...he just knew...his Saviour had come...

As the hands slowly placed the young ram on his feet, joy and peace like he had never known coursed through his veins...leaping forward into the Light, he felt the Shepherd’s rod against His side...

And he knew...

As he danced and sang...

He was going HOME....

The Lord is my shepherd;I have all that I need.

Psalm 23:1 NLT

Into marvelous light I'm running,
Out of darkness, out of shame.
By the cross you are the truth,
You are the life, you are the way.

My dead heart now is beating,
My deepest stains now clean.
Your breath fills up my lungs.
Now I'm free. now I'm free!

Lift my hands and spin around,
See the light that i have found.
Oh the marvelous light...
Marvelous light....

The Young Ram

As the ewe looked at her newborn lamb and lovingly licked him clean of the birthing fluids, she wistfully wished that he would always stay young and dependent on her and the Shepherd. As the lamb squirmed to nurse and later stand on four wobbly legs, his mother knew the growing had only begun. Her lamb would soon be running and frolicking with his older brothers and sisters and all the other lambs in the flock.

She was a proud mama, and she hoped with all her heart that her little lamb would have a good life, and stay as gentle and loving as he was at that very moment. She knew the Good Shepherd would always take care of them and showed her lamb how the love of the Shepherd was the greatest gift they had. The lamb soon learned for himself that the Shepherd was always watching and guarding them and although He loved His sheep, He would discipline them if they disobeyed or went astray...but this discipline was always done with compassion and mercy.

And so the lamb grew...

One spring day, when the lamb had grown into a young ram, the flock was in the pasture eating clover while the new lambs with their lanky legs were chasing butterflies. The young ram was strong and proud because it was widely known that he was the fastest ram and had the most luxurious fleece in the entire flock. He had eaten his fill of grass and soon grew bored with the seemingly endless grazing of his family and friends.

The young ram decided to walk along the outer edge of the clearing. He peered beyond the edge into the forest and contemplated venturing into the thick growth of trees while the other sheep were preoccupied. Some of the mature rams had warned the younger sheep about wandering from the herd and always encouraged them to stay within a certain border. The Shepherd had also gently guided wayward sheep back from the denser forest areas and cautioned them about the dangers of leaving the flock.

The young ram thought he was surely an exception to the rules.

“I run the swiftest, so if anything happens I can surely run back to safety at a moments notice. Besides, there must be treasures out here just waiting to be discovered. I am strong and brave, but if I can find a greener pasture on the other side of the forest, I just know the other sheep will know I am the mightiest ram of all.”

Glancing back at the Shepherd, the young ram slowly stepped out of the glen and into the forest.

What wonders he saw!

What were those smells?

So much to see and do and think about...without his mother looking over his shoulder or his brothers pestering him to do something or even the Shepherd...just watching...with His kind eyes...it was liberating to be on his own!

To be continued...

Passing Under the Rod

The day had been long and the road home from the pasture was sometimes stony. Some had bruised hooves from stumbling down rocky paths and a few were still damp from crossing the cool stream deep in the valley. But home was nearby and the Shepherd was calling.

Their Shepherd stood tall and strong with His rod gripped firmly in His gentle hands. He had guided the flock that day as He did everyday...gently prodding them to go down the right paths and rescuing those that wandered. He had thrown the rod to divert a few of them away from the weeds that looked so delicious but were poisonous. Earlier, a pack of coyotes had attempted to snatch some of the straggling sheep, and their Shepherd had fought the preying beasts with the rod as if it were made of iron instead of oak.

Now as they were nearing the fold, they trembled in anticipation of passing under the Shepherd's rod. As each of the sheep was counted, they knew His compassionate hands would lovingly touch them. As the rod parted the fleece of each sheep, the Shepherd tenderly checked for any problem or affliction that might be hidden from view. Only when He was assured that all was well, did He release the sheep into the fold.

The Shepherd knows His sheep and counts them as His when they pass under the rod...

Gentle Shepherd

(Written by: William and Gloria Gaither)

Gentle Shepherd,

Come and lead us,

For we need you,

To help us find our way.

Gentle Shepherd,

Come and feed us,

For we need,

Your strength from day to day.

There's no other,

We can turn to,

Who can help us face another day.

Gentle Shepherd,

Come and lead us,

For we need you,

To help us find our way.

The True Pasture

The picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is one that many of us have cherished since we were children. My Grandmother had a picture of Jesus sitting in a pasture, surrounded by His sheep and holding a lamb in His lap. She told me that when she prayed for each member of her family, she would picture that person as the little lamb being cared for by the Shepherd. That picture now hangs on the wall in my bedroom with name plaques of each family member beside it.

The 23^rd Psalm is a portion of scripture that many recognize and a child of God always finds comfort in those reassuring words. As the Good Shepherd, the Lord cares for and protects His sheep, directs them in the path they should go, and searches for the ones that wander away. The chorus to a song that was popular years ago said:

Here I am, here I am!

I'm the one the Shepherd left the fold and found.

There were ninety and nine, but He left the fold to find

One little lost lamb, and here I am!

Yes, the image of our loving Shepherd is one I have cherished in my heart for many, many years. But what about the pasture...

I am your true pastureland, the one who gave hope to your ancestors.

Jeremiah 50:7 CEV

Whoever found them devoured them; their enemies said, 'We are not guilty, for they sinned against the LORD, their true pasture,the LORD, the hope of their fathers.'

Jeremiah 50:7 NIV

The dictionary defines pasture as: "land with vegetation cover used for grazing of animals as part of a farm or ranch. Prior to the advent of mechanized farming, pasture was the primary source of food for grazing animals. Soil type, minimum annual temperature and rainfall are important factors in pasture management."

If Jesus is my pasture, then He is the one I depend on for the primary feeding of my soul...not a preacher, a book, a song, or a blog post. All those things are good supplements, but the Source is what sustains me. This Divine Pasture has fertile soil for maximum growth, a shelter from heat and from cold, and is fed by the River of Living Water! How great is that!

The Lord is my Shepherd and my Pasture...the true resting place for my mind, body, and soul...in Him I am complete and have everything I need.