Shepherds and Sheep Dogs

A solitary shepherd and his one sheep dog cared for a large herd of sheep on a remote mountain range in Oregon. Author Virginia Paul in her book This Was Sheep Ranching Yesterday and Today states that this area was so remote that supplies were brought in every 2 weeks. The nearest sheep camp was several miles away. Arriving with supplies on one trip, the delivery person was stunned to find the shepherd dead, but the sheep well cared for. The dog had herded them out every morning and back into the fold every night. Not a single sheep was missing.
Well-trained stock dogs have been known to accomplish efficiently what several men could not equal. They can drive stock to pasture, load one sheep onto a trailer or several at a time, single out one animal from the herd, alert the shepherd to predatory danger, gather in a stray and even control a herd with just their eyes. And they will work for just food.
No wonder the shepherd boy, David, in Psalm 23 talks about being guided with the Lord’s eye. David also confidently declared,“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall lack nothing.”
It’s great to have Shepherd who knows where the sunny side is.
Henry Wiebe