I will be the first to tell you that I am not a poet. Poetry can be an effective teaching tool. I sometimes wish I had such a talent, but I have always been convinced it is wise to recognize one's own limitations.Nonetheless, when I come across an especially outstanding poem, I like to share it with others. The following is from the pen of a man named James Smith, whom I know nothing about other than the fact that he wrote this thought-provoking poem:
'Twas A Sheep, Not A Lamb
It was a sheep, not a lamb that strayed away,
In the parable we are told;
A grown-up sheep that had gone astray...
From the ninety and nine in the fold.
Out in the meadows, out in the cold,
'Twas a sheep the Good Shepherd sought:
Back to the flock and into the fold,
'Twas a sheep the Good Shepherd brought.
And why for the sheep should we earnestly long
And so earnestly hope and pray?
Because there is danger, if they go wrong,
They will lead the young lambs astray!
For the lambs follow the sheep, you know,
Wherever the sheep may stray;
If the sheep go wrong, it will not be long
Till the lambs are as wrong as they.
So, with the sheep we earnestly plead,
For the sake of the lambs today,
If the lambs are lost, what a terrible cost
Some sheep may have to pay.
Paul's God-breathed admonition to Timothy was to, "be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12, NKJV). Never underestimate the impact your faithful service to the King of Kings (or lack thereof) has on those around you.
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