Broken Stick - Story Johnny watched the sheep. He was a shepherd boy. He loved the sheep. They were fluffy and soft and fun to play with. They needed him. Without his help they would not be able to eat and sleep safely or even go to get a drink of water from the brook. They had no protection from danger. Even though Johnny was just a little boy, he knew he had to "always" be on guard and listen for sounds of danger. This was so that he could protect both himself and the sheep. When it was dark the sheep were all gathered close together. Johnny had to make sure none of the sheep strayed, because a stray sheep off by itself would be in grave danger. That is why the Lord warns us to gather together. Johnny would not sleep tonight; he would sit by the fire and sing songs to the Lord and listen. It was very late and Johnny was tired, so he stood up and jumped up and down to wake up. When Johnny sat down again he felt in his spirit that something was wrong but he could not tell what it was. Then he heard a stick break. It snapped like someone or something had stepped on it. But Johnny knew he was the only one there. So this was a warning signal to Johnny that the enemy was near by. Johnny's hands were empty. He had no defense. So quickly he grabbed his staff and went to check on the sheep. A wolf was sneaking up on the sheep. He was planning to kill one of the sheep and drag it off to a safe place to eat it. The wolf's eyes glowed in the darkness of the night. His teeth were white and sharp ready to bite anything that got in his way. When the wolf saw Johnny he began to growl and snarl. But Johnny was not afraid. He knew what to do. He called on the Lord Jesus Christ. Johnny ran toward the wolf saying, "You are a lie from the pits of hell. In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to leave." He was almost close enough to touch the wolf before it ran away growling a threat; "I'll be back." Said the wolf. "I'll be ready," said Johnny, "I will watch and pray." Then Johnny saw the good Shepherd standing in front of him with His sword drawn. His sword looked like lightening. The Good Shepherd was standing between where he was and where the wolf had been. So that is what had scared the wolf off. "How did you get here?" Johnny asked. The moment you called My name I was here," said the Shepherd, "You just couldn't see me at first." I was pleased to see you were not afraid of the wolf. Never be afraid, because the wolf is really a coward, he only acts tough. I watch for you and any time you call My name I will be there. When you take a stand against the enemy I always stand with you, with the army of the Lord. But you must be sure to listen and watch, and then you will know when to call me to come. Johnny and the Shepherd went back and sat by the fire. They laughed and talked until the sun came up. Then the Shepherd had to go but he told Johnny he would be listening for his call. Johnny felt good. The Shepherd loved him and would come if he called. He felt safe. It was a good day to watch the sheep.
Broken Stick – Story Page 1 Copyright Carol J. Warren 2000 published by DramaShare
What are the broken sticks in your life that warn you when trouble is near? One might be sin or the temptation to sin, sickness, everyone is picking on you or everything is going wrong. These are all broken sticks and are warning signs for us to call on Jesus but we must make sure our hands are not empty. What is in your hands? What was in the shepherd's hands? That's right a shepherd's staff, which stand for the authority of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ. What other things might you have in your hands? You might have a sword. A sword is a S-Word. That is a spirit word, which means the word in your spirit ready for action. What happens if your hands are empty? That's right, you had better get your hands on the word, especially with that enemy around. What if your hands are already full of the wrong things, just junk? Then you need to empty your hands by repenting and cleanse your hands by the blood of Jesus Christ, then put your hands on the word. But the real weapon is being in Christ Jesus and calling on Him. The Bible says He will never leave you or forsake you. He is bigger than any bully is and bigger than any enemy. So watch out for broken sticks and be sure to have the word in your spirit ready for action. Remember: I am a Spirit - I have a soul - I live in a body. I feed my body Big Macs and pizza. I feed my soul playtime and fun things. But I feed my spirit the word of God. I could have a strong muscular body and have a spirit as puny as a worm. Do you think the devil could push me a round if that were the case? Why sure he could. But if I feed my spirit the word of God every day it will grow big and strong like the rest of me and then the devil will have a hard time trapping me. But what if you don't understand the word you are reading? Will it still work? Well, let me ask you another question, how many of you can tell me exactly how they process the meat for a hamburger? Oh no one, really. Well then I guess it won't do you any good to eat any more hamburgers because it won't feed your body will it? You mean it feeds your body and takes care of your hunger even though you don't understand where it all comes from. Wow! That's great. And it is the same way with the word. The Bible says the word of God is alive and sharper than any two edged sword. It will feed your spirit whether you understand it or not. So even if it gets confusing sometimes, read it anyway because otherwise your poor spirit will starve. When the Bible says to watch and pray, it means listen for broken stick warning signs, be sure to be full of the word, and ready to call on the Lord in prayer. Do you know what? Even I can do that, and so can you.
Broken Stick – Story Page 2 Copyright Carol J. Warren 2000 published by DramaShare
