Mexico Missouri message., 1908-11-12
THE LORD
OUR SHEPHERD
suaa.y Sehssl Lssssa Ger Hsy. rs, 1908
Specially Arranged for This Paper

-
LESSON TExr.--Psalm q: read also
| John i0:i.1a Commit entire Psalm.
GOLDEN TExT.-'srhs Lord IL my
Shepherd. shall not vant"-Psalm 2s:L
| AuTHOR--David.
TIkE.-Eithsg In his youth, e. later IN
/ . review OF his life. Barton places ~
during Abnalom's rebellion. referring -
| : Bam. n:TI-@.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Good Shepherd Shepherding
His sheep.--vs. 1-3. ION such q viii
derness Of mirage. Elusive paths, Turk
ing terrors, and infrequent spots OF
heritage. II Is evident that the person
and character OF the shepherd must
mean great deal moro TO the sheep
than they can possibly mean with us.
With us. sheep left TO themselves may
be seen any day-in a feld or on q
hillside with q travelling wire fence
70 keep them from straying. But I
do not remember ever to have seen In
the east a flock Of sheep without q
shepherd. On such a landscape AZ
have described he Is obviously indis-
pensable."
The sheep in modern times under
civilized governments are as really
protected by the shepherd as are those
in the open fields of the orient; only
in 4 different way. The laws take
the place Of clubs and crooks. Fences
and police guards are but another
mode Of protecting the sheep from
labyrinthine paths and desert dangers.
and OF guiding them to the green pas
lures and waters Of rest.
This Is equally true OF life. BY q
fuller knowledge of natural and divine
law, by the protection, which Christian
civilization beAtows, and the guidance
Of Gods word. many things are done
for us which needed once more visible
guidance. But 1t is the same shep-
herdlng az was given OF old.
The Good Shepherd loves his sheep
with an everlasting love. He gives his
life for the sheep.
H0 left heaven, his home, and be.
came man; taught, suffered. died, that
he might find his lost ones.
"The shepherdhood OF Christ and
the fatherhood Of God are the two
most comforting assurances OF Scrip
ture."-Hugh Black.
: The Good Shepherd Knows His sheep
by Name. 1T 10 q remarkable fact in
oriental husbandry. that In q. flock Of
hundreds OF thousands each individual
sheep has itB name, knows II, and IL
known by It." This implies: 1. That
: the shepherd takes a living, personal
r interest In each individual. Q. That
{ he knows each individuals peculiar
circumstances, so that he ministers
3 to each one what he specially needs
Q and requires. 3. That he assigns "a
i each one the work for which he il best
!, fitted. (. That he can accept the love
n and loyalty of each individual Jesus
n the Good Shepherd, does all this and
more for his flock.
r Every life needs shepherding; and
e q shepherd knows his sheep by thell
4 weakness and faults, and measures hii
,. care OF them thereby; and when thu
!! Good Shepherd calls his own sheep
!; he calls them by the name which sug
!. gests at once their failing and his help
r and his call thus becomes q tends
>. appeal, for II IL both q remembrance
n and q promise. Hugh Black.
The Good Shepherd is Our Guild
It Through Life. He leadeth me.
"Guideth me on a journey from whicl
Il IL easy to stray from the RICH
, path" TN the paths OF righteousness.
'In the right tracks. those that lea
directly and safely to the place of DEF
- tination."-Prof. G. A. Briggs. "ofte
have 1 roamed through the shepher
country In my youth and watched HOY
. hard Il Is to choose the right pat
for the sheep; one leads TO a precipics
another TO a place where the shee
cannot find the way back; and III
. shepherd was always going aheas
leading them in the right path
~ proud OF his good name as n shel
- herd."-Song OF the Syrian shepher'
e "Thy rod and thy stan" 'are nc
u synonymous, for even the shepherd {
~ to-day, though often armed with n gun
y carries two instruments OF wood, hi
~ great oak club. thick enough to brai
% q wild beast, and his staff 90 lean upo
~ or 60 touch his sheep with, while III
.. ancient shepherd without freatm
ol would surely still more require both
'% George Adam Smith.
~ The star Is the common shepherd
" crook, by which he can draw wal
~ dering sheep toward him or pull hi
~ out OF some creVice or away froI
- some poisonous herb.
~ They comfort me-" I'VE must nj
~ miss the force OF the good old wol
i no comfort icon, together; forti
~ strong). II means Tar more than sir
'n ply to console. II signifies TO tone I
- the whole nature, TO strengthen q ma
~ 20 that all his energies can be brougl
ns 10 bear."-M. r. Vincent
VI Goodness and mercy (the qua
y ties Of Cod ''shail follow me-" pursl
me. hunt me.
One need not seek anxiously Z
VA them az an Elusive blessing. &C q
child seeks In vain for the ralnbov
but they win pursue him and ovs
= - A. a.