By gait; by size; by color; by smell
THE SHEPHERD KNOWS THE SHEEP. AND KNOWS HIM VERY WELL.
There were ninety and nine that safely lay,
In the shelter of the fold,
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold,
Away on the mountains wild and bare,
Away from the tender shepherd's care.
Ira Sankey
Sometimes the stories behind the famous hymns are as inspiring as the hymns themselves. Those famous lines were discovered by Dwight Moody and Ira Sankey as they were looking at a newspaper while riding a train between appointments. Sankey showed it to Moody who was unimpressed, but a few nights later Moody spopoke on the subject of the Good Shepherd. He turned to Sankey for music after his sermon and Sankey heard those words roaring through his head. Now was the time for such a song. Suddenly those strains that have some to mean so much to Christians everywhere, came to him, and he began to play. That must have been a night at the foot of the cross!
That beautiful hymn portrays beautifully the love and compassion of our lord. One cannot read those words or hear those strains without being reminded of that laden parable of the Ninety and Nine that comesto mind in Mat. 18:11-14. It tells us how important to Him every one of us is. Pity the wanderer who expects the shepherd to come with a chastening rod and raving, YOU FOOL! YOU INGRATE! YOU ARE NOT FIT! YOU ARE TOO DIRTY! It is at that time we need to review the parable of the lost sheep with them. BL
No comments:
Post a Comment