As a shepherd, one of the many tasks I had in caring for our sheep was making sure the first-time mamas bonded with their lambs.

If I thought they might not do this on their own, I would gather the lambs in my arms and walk to the barn, never letting the lambs out of Mama’s sight. When we got there, the little family would be placed in a pen for two or three days to ensure they all bonded.

Sometimes it literally took an hour or more to make what should have been a very short journey because sometimes Mama refused to follow. She wouldn’t leave the site where she gave birth. Though the lambs were no longer there, she thought that was where she was needed. Talk about frustrating!

Imagine how frustrating it must be to God when we refuse to follow Him — choosing instead, to stay where we are, though there’s nothing good there for us.

But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is always willing to gather us in His arms and lead us. When we do follow Him, we know it will always be for our good.