Staying Close to the Good Shepherd

Claire Black: This is True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. I’m Claire Black. Together, we’ll explore God’s truth for us one drive at a time.

What’s your favorite movie? How often do you quote it? And what happens when you hear other people quote it . . . but they say it wrong? You know it right away, because you’ve seen the movie so many times, you probably know it perfectly!

A similar thing can happen when you come across false teachers, but unlike quoting movies, knowing when they’re wrong is really important.

This season we’ve been learning all about those false teachers. Jesus warned us about them in Matthew 7. He said they can look like harmless sheep on the outside, but inside they’re really vicious wolves.

We hope this season has helped you learn how to spot the wolves and how to test any teaching you hear. But you might still be wondering, How do I know who I can trust?Can I trust anyone? Well, today you’re going to learn one more important lesson—the secret to feeling safe even when wolves are out there.

Dannah Gresh has invited Suzy back to the farm for a walk with her little herd of goats (and one very special black sheep named Carl Epley). She’s got something she wants to show Suzy about how sheep stay safe.

It’s time for season 24, episode 4 of the True Girl podcast, called, “Staying Close to the Good Shepherd.”

Here’s Suzy.

Suzy Weibel: This is hilarious. Dannah, they’re actually following you on the trail! And they’re not saying a thing.

Dannah Gresh: Told ya.

Suzy: We’ve been walking for, what, ten minutes? And they just stay single file behind you. It’s like they’ve been to obedience school with the best of my Bernese Mountain Dog club.

Dannah: I know. It’s unbelievable, isn’t it?

Suzy: Well, yeah! Back at the farm they were all really noisy and jumpy and busy. But out here, they’re just locked onto you.

Dannah: Watch this. Sit Down.

Suzy: They’re actually going to sit down with us?

Dannah: Yep. Sometimes they sit right in my lap.

I used to have a chair out here. We’d come here; they’d sit and chew their cuds, and I’d read my Bible.

This is Boo Who—he’s always the closest to me. That’s Horton over there. The one that's closest to you is Sam-I-Am. That one with the funny hair is the Lorax.

Suzy: I see the theme!

Dannah: And Jumper.

Suzy: Whoa! What happened to the Dr. Seuss theme?

Dannah: Grandkids named him! And, of course, Carl Epley, the lone sheep in the herd of goats.

Suzy: Well, this is a lovely break in my day, but you said you wanted to show me something.

Dannah: Yeah, this! Because, I want to be like this.

Suzy: Like a herd of goats and a black sheep?

Dannah: Let me explain. As we’ve been walking and talking about false teachers, it’s raised my awareness. And Suzy, I’ve started noticing something . . . there are a lot of them. I’ll see a video online or hear someone teaching, and I catch myself thinking, Hmm, that sounds like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It seems like more and more people are talking about the Bible but not always getting it right. And I just started worrying about our True Girls and getting a little obsessed about learning about wolves so I can protect them.

Suzy: Well, Dannah, the Bible tells us that false teachers have always been around and that they’ll increase as we get closer and closer to the return of Jesus. But sometimes their voices just spread farther and influence more people. So it may not be that there are more wolves today; it’s just that it’s easier to hear them and their teaching can reach a lot more people because of the internet.

Dannah: Exactly, but that had me feeling a little afraid . . .

Suzy: So it seems.

Dannah: . . . until, I took my little herd for a walk and saw this.

Suzy: It’s pretty cool, but what exactly am I looking at?

Dannah: Here, I brought my Bible. A few days ago; I thought of a passage of Scripture. 

(Pages rustling)

Let me read John 10:11–15. This is Jesus speaking:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”

And then Jesus talks about how hired workers won’t do that for a herd of sheep. They run when they see a wolf coming. They will abandon the sheep because they aren’t the Good Shepherd. And then, just to be sure we get it, Jesus says it again:

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.”

Do you see it?

Suzy: I sure do!

Dannah: Do you see what Jesus is saying here? Wolves are real! They do exist. But the sheep don’t have to spend their whole day worrying about wolves.

Why?

Because they just need to stay close to the shepherd.

When sheep stay near the shepherd:

• The shepherd is the one watching for danger.
• The shepherd is the one protecting them.
• The shepherd is the one who fights off the wolves.

So the safest thing a sheep can do isn’t to try to learn everything about wolves. The safest thing a sheep can do is stay close to the Shepherd and learn everything we can about Jesus.

Suzy: Wow! I love that picture. And just look how much this little herd trusts you, their shepherdess! They feel safe because they KNOW you and they TRUST you.

Dannah: Yeah, I want to be like that! These little creature teachers taught me not to fear the wolves, but to stay close to the Good Shepherd.

Suzy: That’s the secret. Stay safe by staying close to Jesus.

I just have to say this: the key to that is to open your Bible regularly—not just when someone else tells you to. The sheep know the shepherd’s voice because they hear it a lot. The more you read God’s Word, the easier it is to recognize when something doesn’t sound right.

Ya know, as far as our True Girl family goes, staying close to the Shepherd also requires praying. How about we just sit here with this sweet flock of yours and pray for the flock of Jesus.

Dannah: That's a great idea, Suzy.

Suzy: Let's pray.

Dear Jesus, our Good Shepherd, we thank You that You invite us to be near You, to be in Your presence so that You can protect us, where You can keep us, where You can comfort us, where You can let us know that we are Yours.

Lord, I pray for these True Girls. It can be scary sometimes when we talk about things like false teachers and wolves. But remind us that we don't have to be afraid. Our Shepherd is the Good Shepherd. And Jesus, You have laid down Your life for these little sheep.

In fact, You promised in Your Word that You have not even lost one of us—not one! And, You never, ever will.

I pray that these girls will learn to love the Bible and open the Word so that they can hear Your voice often and so that they know Your voice. Let us be wise, let us test the teachings so that we know that if they are listening to You and are in step with Your Word, or if they might be a wolf. In Jesus' name, amen.

Claire: True Girl, the closer you stay to Jesus and His Word, the easier it becomes to hear His voice. And when you know the Shepherd’s voice, it’s a lot harder for a wolf to fool you. Stay close to the Good Shepherd, friend.

One way to stay close to Jesus is to read your Bible regularly and pray. If you want some help building that practice, talk to your mom. She can probably get you started in that habit. Then, check out the True Girl Subscription Box. Every sixty days, a new box arrives at your door that’ll encourage you to spend time with God every day.

It’s got devotions written by Dannah, Suzy, and the team; a mom-and-daughter activity, and other tools. Because being in God’s Word every day is one way you stay close to the Good Shepherd! Learn more about the True Girl Subscription Box at MyTrueGirl.com.

And, keep an eye out for the next season of the podcast! 

The True Girl podcast is a production of Revive Our Hearts, calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

*Offers available only during the broadcast of the podcast season.