The Lord is my Shepherd

Helen Jesze, 19th February 2016

Psalm 23, 1

Tony and his widowed mother lived many years ago in a little village in Switzerland. Because his father had died in a wood-cutting accident, they were very poor. His mother earned money doing fine embroidery for the rich ladies in the town, and Tony took care of the sheep for a local farmer.

Every day he drove his little flock up the mountain where there was plenty of rich grass and herbs to nourish them, and cool mountain streams to fill the pool where the animals liked to drink. In the evening he led them down again.

In the Summer however, Tony did not take his sheep up the mountain every day; he stayed there for several weeks at a time. There was a small wooden hut where he could sleep and the farmer sent somebody up once a week to bring him some food, and see that everything was alright.

It was quite lonely for a little boy of eight years old, up there all on his own, but when at night the darkness and the loneliness tried to make him afraid, he remembered that he must take the place of his father, in helping to provide for the family. Now and again Tony would see tourists and local people climbing the mountain, and there was one person he always looked out for – this was the Pastor from the village who sometimes came to see him.

The Pastor was a kindly man who always brought the little boy a cake or some delicious soup in a bottle, that his wife had made. He used to stay a while and talk with Tony while he ate his little picnic. One day as they sat on a rock talking, the Pastor said, “Tony, do you know there is a Psalm in the Bible all about a Shepherd and his sheep?“

„No, I didn’t know that, what does it say?“ Tony asked. The Pastor took out his well-worn Bible which always went with him, and read the whole of Psalm 23. The little boy’s face was alight with interest, as the Pastor explained that Jesus wants to be our Shepherd, and look after us and lead us through Life, but we have to ask Him to do this.

The Pastor then said, „Tony, look here!“ He held up his left hand and counted off the words „The Lord is MY Shepherd…“ on the first three fingers. But when he came to the fourth word, the Pastor clasped the fourth finger of his left hand with his right hand, and held it tightly. „Tony, you do it now!“

Tony held up his little hand and soon he was counting off the words on his left fingers and clasping the fourth finger, like the Pastor. „That’s good, Tony, but you must ask Him to be your own personal Good Shepherd! Don’t forget!“ The good man then went down the mountain again and through pressure of work he was unable to visit Tony again for some while.

One day a terrific Summer storm came. The mothers brought in their children who were playing outside, the farmers brought in their animals — everybody ran for shelter. It was the worst storm they had seen for a long time. When the bad weather finally cleared after some days, a team of men went up the mountain to find Tony. They searched high and low. The little hut was empty apart from some sheep which had sheltered there, and the corpses of several dead sheep lay around.

Suddenly the horn sounded– the signal that Tony had been found! They all ran to see and there under an overhanging rock lay the little boy, a lamb clasped to his chest, and his hands …“Why has he got his hands like that?“ the men puzzled. „He’s holding his left fourth finger with his right hand!“ The Pastor who was with the group looked closer, and his voice shook with emotion as he explained.

„Tony understood, he got the message, men! ‘The Lord is my Shepherd!’ Now he’s with his Good Shepherd, safe and sound! What about you all?! It’s time that some of you asked Him to be YOUR Shepherd and put your life right with God!“

The men had plenty to think about as they gently carried that little body down the mountain.

And what about YOU? Is He your Good Shepherd? If not, he wants to be! Just ask Him today!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving and taking care of your sheep so well. Lead and feed me today. Thank you for laying down your life for me, to make me your very own! Amen.