Bible Reading: Psalm 23; John 10:1-12, 27-28

Evening descended swiftly on the French Alps. Chloe snuggled closer to her dad as the two of them and her dad's friend Jules huddled around a fire for warmth. "Another good thing about being a sheep is all that wool to keep you warm," Chloe said.

Jules nodded. "It's almost time to put them in their pen for the night. If I wait until it gets too dark, the wolves come out."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Have you ever had to fight a wolf, Uncle Jules?"

He nodded solemnly. "Fortunately, I was able to save the lamb. The sheep know they are safe when they stay close to me, just like we are safe with Jesus, our shepherd."

"That doesn't mean bad things won't happen to us," Dad interjected. "Everyone goes through darkness and tough times. But our Good Shepherd promises to be with us through every dark valley we encounter."

"So we don't need to fear, just like David wrote in Psalm Twenty-Three," Chloe said softly. "Uncle Jules, what about the verse where David talks about God anointing his head with oil? What does that have to do with sheep?"

Jules grinned. "Do you think Chloe can handle this, John?"

"It's kind of gross, Chloe," Dad warned.

"I can handle it!"

"We have different medicine now, but back in David's day, shepherds used to pour oil over the sheep's heads to protect them from bugs," said Jules.

"That's not so gross--kind of like giving pets flea medicine."

"But these kinds of bugs would eventually make their way into the sheep's brains and destroy them."

"Ewww!" Chloe shuddered. "Good thing they have a shepherd to protect every part of them--even their brains."

"God does the same thing for us," Jules noted. "When we listen to the truth of His Word, it transforms and renews our minds and helps keep us from fixating on what might harm us. Instead of worry, we can feel His peace. That's why reading and memorizing God's Word is important."

Chloe gazed at the sheep thoughtfully. "Uncle Jules, I've learned a lot this week. One thing's for sure--I'm going to listen to my Good Shepherd."

–Savannah Coleman