For me, my first trip to Israel was an amazing assortment of first-time discoveries. I kept finding myself in settings that were 3-D living reenactments of Bible scenes, from shepherds striding in front of their flocks of sheep, to camel herds galloping across deserts, to robed men trotting fast riding donkeys about half their size. We don’t need to visit Israel to have our faith refreshed and be made more real, but those scenes blessed me.

My favorite true sheep story is from W. Phillip Keller’s A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. He shares that if a young lead ram won’t follow the shepherd and consistently goes astray, the shepherd eventually breaks one of the young ram’s legs and then carries it across his own chest in a sling for six weeks until the leg heals. The ram senses the shepherd’s daily care and his every breath and heartbeat. When the leg heals, the shepherd puts the young ram down, and from that point on, wherever the shepherd goes, the youngster follows right at his heels and never strays again. That makes the animal a valuable and trustworthy lead ram.

Even if we endure painful discipline or drastic measures in our life training, every relationship outcome is worth it to keep us on track to best follow Him and win the prize. (See photo below of this summer’s Isanti, Minnesota County Fair.)

23:^{1 “}The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. ³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. ⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. ⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”