WHAT IS YOUR NAME

Tess was excited about Grandpa’s story.

‘Tell me about it!’ I encouraged her.

‘Well, during the war when Grandpa was in Palestine ( Israel ) he went for a walk around Nazareth one Sunday afternoon.’ I nodded remembering.

‘And over on the hillside Grandpa saw this young shepherd, who was minding his sheep.’

‘Well, Grandpa thought he would go over and talk with the boy, but the lad could not understand English, nor could Grandpa speak his language, Arabic.‘

‘Then Grandpa heard the boy call his sheep. He made some funny sounds, which Grandpa thought must be the names of the sheep, because one by one they padded over to their young shepherd.’ Tess was quite excited about her story.

‘Then Grandpa began to call the sheep. The boy patted the sheep while they nibbled the grass. Grandpa tried to imitate the shepherd by calling their names. But guess what!’

I smiled as I realised Grandpa’s dilemma.

‘No matter how much Grandpa called the sheep, not even one came near him. Wasn’t that a disappointment?’

‘Yes, and I wonder why they failed to respond to Grandpa, because he has a kind voice.’ Tess smiled her agreement.

‘It’s easy, Gran. He wasn’t their shepherd, and the sheep will only follow their own shepherd. When they heard the boy shepherd’s call, they trotted over immediately, but Grandpa was different. He could not call them like their own shepherd.’

What a story! And Tess went on. ‘Last night we read a story like that in the Bible, Gran.’

‘I would love to know, my dear.’

‘Yes, Dad read it to me, and I remember it. ‘My sheep hear my voice and they know me, and they follow me, and I give to them life that never ends. And they will never get lost, and they will always experience my love.’

‘And Grandpa told me, too, that God and Jesus know our names, just like the young shepherd boy on the side of the hill, and Jesus calls us to love Him.’

And Tess was glad that both her Father and her Grandfather told her how Jesus knows our names, and He asks us to follow Him.

READ AND MEMORISE. John 10:1-4; 27-28

Do you understand how precious you are to God? Yes / No

When you receive the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, He is also your Shepherd.

And He writes your name in His Life book in heaven.

Read these special verses: Hebrew 12 verse 23

Q. Who will enter heaven?

Revelation 21:verse 27