Jesus, My Shepherd

Claire Black: This is True Girl. A podcast for girls and their moms. Together, we’ll explore God’s Truth for us one drive at a time. Let’s hop on the tractor to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus!

If you listened to the last episode, you might remember we’re going to talk about a whole herd of goats, today. Dannah Gresh has four mini-silkie fainting goats on her farm, and one of them taught her a special lesson about Jesus, our Shepherd. 

Did you know Jesus is your shepherd? He sure is. Today you’ll learn about two things you can do to respond well to Him.

Let’s learn more as we dive into the sixth episode of season 5, titled, “Jesus, My Shepherd.” Here’s Dannah with her cohost, Staci Rudolph.

Dannah Gresh: Staci, I hope you brought your walking shoes today, because we’re going for a walk. 

Staci Rudolph: You know I got my kicks at the ready, Dannah!

Dannah: Boo Whooooo!

Staci: Whoa. I’ve never heard anyone cry quite like that!Hey, hey. Now, settle down Dannah. Everything’s going to be okay! What’s wrong?

Dannah: What’s wrong? Oh, you think I’m crying weird! I’m okay. I’m just calling for Boo Who, my mini-silkie fainting goat. If he comes, the rest will follow.

Boo Whooo!

Staci: They’re so tiny and friendly. They’re kind of like dogs.

Dannah: This my little herd of mini-silkie fainting goats. This black and white one is Boo Who. He’s my very special buddy. I bottle fed him, and I think he thinks he’s my dog. 

That tiny brown and black and white one that’s nuzzling up to you is Cindy Lou Who.And the big one over there is Horton.

Where’s Sam-I-Am—SAM SAM! He’s always lagging.

Oh, there you are Sam!

Staci: You had a Dr. Suess thing kinda going there, I see. Oh! They’re so soft and tiny and friendly. They really are like dogs.

Dannah: Yep. Every now and then, I even walk them. 

Staci: What is a fainting goat? 

Dannah: Well, they have a mutation or change in their muscles that leads to over excitability. If they get scared or super happy, their muscles lock up, and they might fall over. It looks like they faint, but I assure you, they’re still conscious. 

In fact, when our first two were babies, they got so excited when Farmer Bob brought their bottles that . . . bam . . .they’d go right over! But they were still wagging their tails and bleating excitedly at the sight of their milk—“Baaah! Baaah!”

Staci: Are all fainting goats this small? What are they like 1.5 feet tall? 

Dannah: Yeah. Just the mini-silkie fainters are small like this. They have the long hair and fluff on their head that makes them look kind of like a show dog—what is the name of the breed of the dog: terrier! You know, terriers that are all brushed and pretty.

In fact, lots of mini-silkie fainting goat lovers show their barn babies. I just like to take mine for walks.Let’s go guys! Come on, Moose!

Staci: What!? The dog comes, too! And no leashes or collars for anyone? I can’t believe how they follow you!

Dannah: Oh, they’ll do this for miles. In fact, Farmer Bob cut me a path in the woods that’s almost two miles long, and they keep in step all along the way.

Staci: Well, if that isn’t amazing.And they stay close.

Dannah: Yep. They know they aren’t in the pasture. There are coyotes, foxes, even bobcats in the area. Notice how quiet they are as we walk. You won’t hear any bleating out here. They’re in tune to me because they know I keep them safe.

Staci: That’s awesome.

Oh, hey, Dannah! I’ve got just the key Bible verse for us today. I know this one by heart. Let me recite it, John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

Dannah: Oh, that’s perfect! Yes, I think of that verse often when I’m with my goaties.

Staci: Let me unpack the context of this verse. Jesus was traveling and teaching. He had just told them, “I am the good shepherd.” A shepherd is good to his sheep, keeping them safe, and even risking his life if a predator comes near. Sheep get to know that, so they follow their shepherd anywhere he goes. 

Jesus was telling them something about His character. Ultimately, He was saying “Follow me. I’m the only way to heaven!” And of course, Jesus would sacrifice His life for us on a cross at Calvary to keep us safe from Satan!

The Jews knew that a Messiah or Savior was coming, but not everyone was sure if Jesus was the one. So, someone in the crowd asked, “How long are you gonna keep us in suspense. If you’re the Messiah, tell us plainly!” 

And Jesus answered, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Basically, He was saying, “My sheep don’t even have to ask that question! They KNOW!” And He was inviting them to follow Him, kind of like your goats are following you right now.

Dannah: Yeah, and here’s something cool, Staci. That verse says, “My sheep listen to My voice.” Well, another time the goats are silent is at night. They have an instinct that predators come at night, I guess. So, they bed down together with the llama and my mini-donkey, and they are dead quiet. 

But one night, I was outside in the dark for some reason. I was in a silly mood, so I called out, “Good night, Boo Who!” And do you know what I heard? 

Staci: What?

Dannah: Boo Who. He ever-so-quietly called back to me. Now, it wasn’t his regular full-voice that he answers with during daylight, but he knew it was me, and he was letting me know he recognized my voice.

Staci: Just like the verse: My sheep listen to My voice.

Dannah: Yes! And here’s something important. Do you know how he knows me, how he recognized that it was me calling out to him?

Staci: How?

Dannah: He and I have spent time together. I bottle fed him as a baby. He lived in the house for two months. His early feedings were only an hour or two apart, so we logged a lot of cuddle time. Then, when I moved him to the barn, I kept bottle feeding him about six times a day so we cuddled more. And then, we liked cuddling so much that I just come out in the pasture and sit with him sometimes, and he presses right up against me. Time spent together created the knowing!

Staci: Oh, that’s just like my relationship with Jesus. I spend time with Him every day reading the Bible.I think that’s how I get to know what His voice sounds like! 

Dannah: Yeah, you cannot know Jesus’ voice unless you spend time with Him. But if you do spend time with Him, when circumstances happen or people give you advice, you’ll be able to know what to do. Because if it sounds like the Bible or Jesus’ voice, you’re gonna recognize it.

Staci: I’ve definitely had that. One thing that comes to mind is when I first came to True Girl. I kind of just heard God telling me that He had something next for me. So I found that devotional book that you wrote, Dannah. He kind of just let me know about the rest of the ministry, and had me look into it, and look it up, and it was just so perfect. I heard His voice calling me here. 

Dannah: I’m so happy you’re here, Staci.

Staci: Awe. 

Dannah: It was kind of like that for me when I started True Girl. It was just one thing after another that felt consistent with what I know about Jesus. 

Well, there’s the barn. 

Staci: There they go!

Dannah: Yep, as soon as they know they’re home, they are themselves again, making all the noise they want. 

Staci: Hey! Ya know, just like you led your herd home, Jesus is really just leading us through life. 

True Girl, I hope you’re a follower of Jesus Christ, too! He really is your Good Shepherd. This week your homework is for you to go for a walk . . . but not with Dannah’s goats. Go with your mom and talk about if you are a true follower of Jesus. Do you know him? What do you need to do to become familiar with His voice? I’m praying for you to have a really important conversation as mom and daughter.

Uh, Dannah, why’s that goat staring at me?

Dannah: He wants a treat! They always get one after a walk.

Staci: Well, gotta get the boy a carrot or something.

Dannah: They like bananas better than carrots. Here, I have some banana flavored treats.

Staci: Oh, can I have one? 

Dannah: Staci . . . 

Claire: Well, I hope you enjoyed our walk with Dannah’s herd of goats. But more than that, I hope you learned that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, your Good Shepherd. Make a decision to get to know Him and follow Him in everything you do in life. 

Of course, to follow Him, you have to know His voice. And that requires that you get into your Bible to learn to recognize it. Can I invite you to study the Word of God through one of our on-demand Bible studies? You’ll find them at MyTrueGirl.com.

Join us next week when Staci and Dannah have a “tapping good time” sitting under the bird feeder on the Gresh farm, waiting for a special wild friend of Dannah’s. This red-headed friend helped Dannah learn about God’s omnipresence. That’s a big fancy word, and if you don’t know it, come back next week for the True Girl podcast!

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

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