Thursday | Week 9

1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most beautiful chapters about love in the Bible. It tells us what love is. John 10 tells us who love is. Love is the Good Shepherd. Jesus says in John 10:14, “I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”

Probably no sheep knows its shepherd better than a bummer lamb. A bummer lamb is one that has been rejected by the ewe. Maybe the ewe was too old or just didn’t care, maybe she gave birth to twins or triplets and didn’t have enough milk to care for two or three lambs. For whatever reason, no sympathy is offered from the ewe to her offspring. This little bummer lamb is left abandoned and alone—weak, cold and defenseless, starving and broken both physically and emotionally. 

Good shepherds are always on the lookout for bummer lambs. When one is found, the shepherd tenderly picks it up and nestles it closely to his heart so the little one can feel his warmth and his heartbeat. Once home, the shepherd will wrap the lamb up in a towel or blanket and place it by the fire. When the lamb is warm and a little strength has returned to its body, it can be fed. Again, the shepherd picks up the lamb and feeds it with a bottle, a close one-on-one feeding. 

In the days ahead, the good shepherd continues to nurture his little bummer lamb. He carries it close to his heart, so the lamb learns the sound of his voice. The lamb also learns to trust his voice.

When the time comes to release the little lamb back into the flock, any feeling of rejection is gone. The lamb now senses only acceptance and love having been singled out by the good shepherd. And when the good shepherd calls for his sheep, that little lamb is the first one to come running because it has experienced firsthand the love of its shepherd. The bummer lamb isn’t loved any more than the rest of the flock; the bummer lamb just knows its shepherd’s love in a more intimate way.

When you feel rejected, abandoned and alone, run into the arms of your Good Shepherd. He knows what you are experiencing and will tenderly care for you.