The Vision and Practice of Shepherding Our Children
Messages for the Perfecting of Parents — "Shepherding Children" Series
Message One
For a long time now, in considering how to build up our home, we have had several kinds of courses: "Building Up between Husband and Wife," "How to Discipline Our Children" (this seems to be the most painful and most pressing course every parent faces), and "How to Plan the Spiritual Blessing of Our Children" (that is, how to chart out a heavenly career-plan for them).
In speaking on the matter of disciplining our children, we have received many positive responses. Most of the brothers and sisters feel that disciplining their children is a great headache — and the older the child, the greater the headache. When the child is small, how to manage him, how to teach him, is still relatively easy; but once a child enters middle school, discipline is no longer easy. We have, in many matters of discipline, helped brothers and sisters experience the Lord. Yet the more I spoke about it, the more I felt within that something was off — that something was not at peace.
Because, when my sister-wife and I were disciplining our children at home, I discovered two things. First — when I disciplined, I could not bring out Confucian-Mencian morality and use it to discipline them. I needed, at the very point where one of the two children was at fault, to help them by the way of shepherding, the way of opening up, the way of supplying the Lord's word — so that what they received was not a moral-conformity obedience but a life-supply-flowing obedience. The more I served, the more I discovered: discipline cannot be merely discipline; discipline must carry shepherding within it.
Why is hitting a child no good? Look at how the Scripture speaks; look at whether the Lord is that kind of person; look at the Lord's pattern; then look at our own experience. Why does the child not do his homework? Why should he study? How shall we shepherd the child so that he loves to study? — All these questions need to be solved through the practice of shepherding. In our natural concept, we feel a child not studying is a serious matter — and that is true. Only that our discipline, more often than not, becomes simply telling him: "You had better study; if you don't, you'll never find a good wife, you'll never have a decent place in the world, you'll just end up picking through the trash." Don't we all teach this way? But if we use the world's set of methods to manage our children, the child will not be subject — for he has not received the life supply, he has not received the opening of the Lord's word. The slightly better version goes: "You should study, because reading cultivates poise, sharpens understanding, makes you a good person in society and lets you serve society." That isn't bad either — but it is still not enough shepherding.
Second — the Lord again and again reminded me: in disciplining them we must shepherd them; first shepherding, then discipline, then teaching; we must shepherd them all the way through, and only then lead them to repent. Plead with the Lord to cover me as I say it: "We have practised this all along." But the Lord still rebukes me, still reminds me: "It cannot be that you only have shepherding when you are about to discipline — because you fear that he will not accept it, so first you shepherd him. But on ordinary days when he hasn't done anything bad, you don't shepherd him — because there's nothing wrong with him, nothing in particular to talk about, since he is well-behaved enough that he doesn't need to be shepherded." As if he were not our sheep — as if he did not need to grow up — as if it were enough for him to merely behave.
I plead also with the Lord to cover me as I say: "Whenever I have the chance, I do practise it. Sometimes I do enjoy fellowshipping with the children about how precious the Lord is, about the Lord's recovery, about the history of the Lord's recovery — opening it up to them piece by piece." But the Lord still keeps reminding me: "Shepherd." No child has ever grown up by being disciplined; but every child — provided he is the Lord's sheep, provided he is a member of the Body of Christ, provided you affirm that he is a child of God — every such child needs to be shepherded in order to grow up.
We cannot just hope our child will be a good child; we cannot just hope they will do what they ought, with no opening of the Lord to them, no divine supply at all brought to them. So over the years we have changed the topic. At first I kept using "Disciplining Our Children Is Being One with God," and later changed it to "Shepherding Our Children Is Being One with God." Is there discipline? — Yes, of course. Hebrews 12:6 says: "For whom the Lord loves He disciplines." Discipline there must be — but in the discipline there must also be shepherding, and shepherding even more than discipline — and this is the very vocation of being a parent.
I. The Importance of Shepherding
1. "Jehovah is my Shepherd; I will lack nothing." — Psa. 23:1
Psa. 23:1 — Jehovah is my Shepherd; I will lack nothing.
The fruit of David's whole life-experience is this: he affirmed, treasured, and enjoyed Jehovah. David's knowing of Jehovah was not only that He was his Sovereign, not only that He was his Creator, not only that He was his Manager — what David all his life enjoyed of Jehovah, distilled into one crystallization, is Psalm 23: "Jehovah is my Shepherd." This psalm comes immediately after Psalm 22, which is a type of Christ being crucified on the cross — it speaks of Christ in resurrection becoming our Shepherd, the Shepherd of our soul. Thank the Lord — "I will lack nothing." This Shepherd makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside waters of rest; He restores my soul, causing me to love and to treasure; and for His own name's sake He guides me in paths of righteousness. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I do not fear evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Before me You spread a table in the presence of my adversaries; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of Jehovah for the length of my days. Look at David's lifelong experience: there is very little talk of discipline — what he was occupied with was shepherding.
When we come to the New Testament, indeed the Lord had already come — in incarnation, and then in resurrection He became our Shepherd. So when Peter wrote his epistles, what he most felt was shepherding. For when the Lord came to earth, in the midst of men, whether toward any one individual or toward the disciples, He did one thing only: He shepherded them.
How did the Lord call Peter? — Through shepherding. The Lord first called Peter beside the sea. Peter was at that moment fishing in the boat, and had toiled all night without catching anything. The Lord stood on the shore and said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find." Peter said to the Lord, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless, today we listen to You — let us see what comes of it." The result was: when the net went down once, it brought back a great catch.
At that moment Peter knelt down and said, "Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man." But the Lord did not rebuke him; He did not even say, "Peter, please be enlightened — you are a sinner." The Lord did one thing only: in the matter of fishing, He encouraged him and supplied him — that is all. The Lord encouraged Peter, saying, "Do not fear — from now on you will be catching men."
Beside the sea again, the Lord called Peter the second time, "Come, follow Me." As soon as Peter began to follow, his very first worry surfaced — so he said, "Lord, my mother-in-law is sick with a high fever; what shall I do?" The Lord said, "I will go to heal her." Then Peter, set at ease, followed the Lord Jesus.
Through that whole following, Peter was a king of trouble-making and a king of foot-in-mouth blunders; but the Lord's shepherding of him never ceased. Throughout the whole three-and-a-half years of following, the Lord constantly used His living word to shepherd Peter. So one day, when many had left the Lord, the Lord asked the twelve disciples, "Are you also leaving?" Peter answered, "Lord, You have words of eternal life — to whom else shall we go?" What Peter had touched was just this: across that whole journey of following, of accompanying, he had always received the Lord's shepherding — words of eternal life overflowing out of the Lord onto him.
2. Christ is our great Shepherd; He is also the Chief Shepherd of the shepherds — 1 Pet. 5:4; Heb. 13:20
1 Pet. 5:4 — And when the Chief Shepherd is manifested, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Heb. 13:20 — Now the God of peace, He who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, in the blood of an eternal covenant,
Then the Lord began to take the disciples on; and one day, when they had come to the parts of Caesarea Philippi, the Lord asked them, "Who do men say the Son of Man is?" They began to answer back-and-forth, one word here, another word there — truly a most beautiful vital group. Then the Lord asked again, "And who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." The Lord said, "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens. And I also say to you that you are Peter." — Peter: what does it mean? It means "a stone." The Lord might originally have said, "You are Adam" (of course Adam means dust — though that would not be far off!) — but instead the Lord said, "You are a stone," showing that every saved person ought to be transformed into a stone. Then the Lord said, "Upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against her." That is the Lord's shepherding. The Lord went on, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens; and whatever you bind on the earth shall be what has been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose on the earth shall be what has been loosed in the heavens." Bit by bit the Lord shepherded them.
When the Lord was about to go up to the cross, He gathered with the disciples; and the Lord said to Peter, "Simon, Simon, Satan has demanded to have you, to sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. Do not fear; once you have turned again, strengthen your brethren." Look at this shepherding — is it good? It is good. But Peter was very unhappy! He simply did not know what this was about: why should the Lord say Satan was about to sift him, and that he, Peter, would stumble? Was such a response really required? "For a person like me, no response is needed — I'm already with You all the way!" So Peter was very unhappy. You see how shepherding is no easy thing — even with the Lord shepherding Peter like this, Peter is unhappy! Then the Lord said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." Peter was unhappy still. And after he had three times denied the Lord, the rooster crowed; and when Peter saw the Lord turn and look at him, his heart was filled with shame, he was enlightened, and he went out and wept bitterly.
When the Lord rose from the dead, He charged Mary to tell His disciples — for this was the most joyful matter, the very thing the disciples most longed for: the Lord is risen! But the Lord knew that if He merely said, "Go and tell My disciples," Peter would not come — for Peter knew he had committed a great wrong. So the Lord said: "Go and tell My disciples — and Peter."
Brothers and sisters — this is the Lord's shepherding. There is love, supply, recovering, forgiveness, all-around keeping; and there is also the opening up of the Lord's holy word. With this supply, with this comfort, with this encouragement, Peter received warmth, supply, and revelation, certainly enlightenment — until at last he was perfected to die for the Lord as a martyr. This is our Lord. So in Peter's epistles he tells us that "He is the Chief Shepherd of all shepherds"; and Paul, in Hebrews 13:20, also says, "Christ is our great Shepherd."
3. In Hebrews 11, every generation believed; this surely came because the parents shepherded into the next generation the things hoped for and the things not seen — that is, the very person, glory and beauty, work, and economy-goal of God Himself — Heb. 11:1–40
Heb. 11:1 — Now faith is the substantiation of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Heb. 11:2 — For in this the elders have obtained a good testimony. Heb. 11:3 — By faith we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not come into being out of things which appear. Heb. 11:4 — By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying to his gifts; and through faith, though he has died, he still speaks. Heb. 11:5 — By faith Enoch was translated so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For before his translation he obtained the testimony that he had been well pleasing to God. Heb. 11:6 — But without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to Him, for he who comes forward to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Heb. 11:7 — By faith Noah, having been divinely instructed concerning things not yet seen and being moved by pious fear, prepared an ark for the salvation of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Heb. 11:8 — By faith Abraham, being called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. Heb. 11:9 — By faith he dwelt as a foreigner in the land of promise as in a foreign land, making his home in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the fellow heirs of the same promise; Heb. 11:10 — For he eagerly waited for the city which has the foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God. Heb. 11:11 — By faith also Sarah herself received power to conceive seed, even beyond the season of age, since she considered Him faithful who promised. Heb. 11:12 — Therefore also there were born of one, and that of him who had become dead, as many as even the stars of heaven in multitude and as the sand by the seashore innumerable. Heb. 11:13 — All these died in faith, not receiving the promises but seeing them from afar and joyfully greeting them and confessing that they were strangers and sojourners on the earth. Heb. 11:14 — For those who say such things make it manifest that they seek after a country of their own. Heb. 11:15 — And if indeed they continued to remember that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return; Heb. 11:16 — But as it is, they long after a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. Heb. 11:17 — By faith Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac; indeed he who gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten, Heb. 11:18 — Of whom it was said, "In Isaac shall your seed be called"; Heb. 11:19 — Counting that God was able to raise men even from the dead, from which he also received him back in figure. Heb. 11:20 — By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. Heb. 11:21 — By faith Jacob, while he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshipped God, while leaning on the top of his staff. Heb. 11:22 — By faith Joseph, nearing his end, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave orders concerning his bones. Heb. 11:23 — By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw that the child was lovely, and they did not fear the king's decree. Heb. 11:24 — By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, Heb. 11:25 — Choosing rather to be ill treated with the people of God than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin, Heb. 11:26 — Considering the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked away to the reward. Heb. 11:27 — By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he persevered as one seeing the unseen One. Heb. 11:28 — By faith he instituted the Passover and the pouring out of the blood so that the one destroying the firstborn would not touch them. Heb. 11:29 — By faith they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land, in which the Egyptians, while making the attempt, were swallowed up. Heb. 11:30 — By faith the walls of Jericho fell, having been encircled for a period of seven days. Heb. 11:31 — By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who were disobedient, since she had received the spies with peace. Heb. 11:32 — And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, Heb. 11:33 — Who through faith overcame kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Heb. 11:34 — Quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong in weakness, became mighty in war, routed the armies of foreigners. Heb. 11:35 — Women received their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured to death, not accepting deliverance, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection. Heb. 11:36 — And still others underwent the trial of mockings and scourgings, even, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. Heb. 11:37 — They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they died by the murder of the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, ill treated Heb. 11:38 — (Of whom the world was not worthy), wandering over deserts and mountains and in caves and holes of the earth. Heb. 11:39 — And these all, having obtained a good testimony through their faith, did not obtain the promise, Heb. 11:40 — Because God has provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.
In Hebrews 11, every generation, every individual, walked by faith the road of faith, and like us they will also receive the Lord's eternal reward. Why could they believe? — Surely because the parents told them about the things hoped for and the things not seen. The things hoped for and the things not seen — these are God's own person, His glory, His virtue, His work, and the goal of His economy. The parents' calling is to shepherd all these into the next generation, that the next generation may see, recognize, and have a real grasp of what is hoped for and what is not seen.
We have spoken before of "Christ being passed down through the family." We very deeply believe this. Although the Scripture does not explicitly record it that way, many pictures show me that, beginning from Adam, the parents in every generation did one beautiful thing: they shepherded into their children, little by little, the history of God's union with them, God's love toward them, God's economy concerning them, God's purpose in them, God's working in them, God's glory and virtue, God's very person — until the next generation could recognize this very God and be filled with treasuring of Him.
4. Jehovah is the God of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, the God who has shepherded me all my life to this day — Gen. 48:15
Gen. 48:15 — And he blessed Joseph and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has shepherded me all my life to this day,
In the Old Testament, especially in Genesis and Exodus, very often we read, "Their God is the God of my father Abraham, the God of my father Isaac, and also my God." When Jacob, in the late ripening of his life, came down to Egypt and blessed Joseph's two sons, he said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has shepherded me all my life to this day, the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil." This is the crystallized treasuring of Jacob's whole life-experience of God.
This is most meaningful: the God Jacob enjoyed within himself was the God whom his father Abraham and his father Isaac had served. What does that mean? — It means: the God whom Abraham experienced, Abraham's loved God, Abraham's enjoyed God, Abraham's drawn-upon God, this same God was shepherded into Isaac, and was shepherded into Jacob. So out of this many-sided rich experience he could declare: "This God is 'the God of my father Abraham,' that is, the God whom Abraham experienced, whom Abraham loved, whom Abraham enjoyed, whom Abraham drew upon." And He is also "the God whom my father Isaac served" — and to serve means to flow in and to flow out, to gaze and to mirror; this is the service of the father. Isaac's whole life enjoyed God in this way — enjoyed Him to such a degree that he could live God out.
Jacob can declare again and again: this God whom my father Abraham experienced, this God whom my father Isaac served, has now also become my God. We parents long for it: the God I serve is my God, is the God I subjectively experience — not a borrowed God, not a so-called inherited God. But how does He become subjectively my God? — Through the shepherding of my fathers and grandfathers. Otherwise, I would not need to say so much. From this point on, our children also will rise up to declare: "My Lord Jesus is my father's Christ — and now He has become my Christ; the Christ my father enjoyed, today has become the Christ I treasure within." Every child's experience of this Lord comes through the shepherding of the parents. Not only is there the Lord's own direct shepherding — there is also the shepherding the Lord brings through the previous generation.
5. Timothy from a babe knew the sacred writings and received the transfusion of faith — 2 Tim. 1:3–5; 3:15
2 Tim. 1:3 — I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers in a pure conscience, while unceasingly I have remembrance concerning you in my petitions night and day, 2 Tim. 1:4 — Longing to see you, remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy; 2 Tim. 1:5 — Having been reminded of the unfeigned faith in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded dwells also in you. 2 Tim. 3:15 — And that from a babe you have known the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
From the entire Old Testament right into the New, you will discover that the parents' very calling is shepherding. Parents must drop by drop shepherd the Lord they have experienced into the next generation. Even in the New Testament, Paul says to Timothy: "From a babe you have known the sacred writings." But the "from a babe" here, in the original, means from infancy. — Can an infant read? Of course not, you'd say! But how could one expect him to know the Scriptures from babyhood? — Through transfusion, through telling stories, through the opening up of the word — that is what enables him to recognize, from when he is small, the Scriptures we ourselves recognize. Shepherding ought to become "the most important thing in our family life." So many problems come from this: we discipline a great deal, but shepherd very little; we rebuke a great deal, but shepherd very little; we are full of moment-by-moment management but a serial, sustained shepherding is rare — and so our children fail to receive a real, substantial, spiritual nurture. If we hope our next generation will become overcomers, will be the firstfruits to satisfy Christ, the bride and the army for Him, then we cannot lay aside this our calling: "You must shepherd him."
Concerning this point I feel very deeply. In all these years I have heard so many problems concerning children — some children cannot accept their parents, some resist their parents, some run out and pick up bad ways. As all these problems come back to us in the end, we sigh and admit: "We parents have been quite short of shepherding our children."
Why does the child resist? — Because management was too strict. Why does the child run away? — Because what was given was Confucian-Mencian morality, with no taking-of-root in life. Why is a child so easily drawn by the world? — Because the foundation in spirit is too thin, so he drifts with the wind. We only put up barriers, again and again: "Don't go bad, don't make bad friends, don't take amphetamines, don't do bad things." On the negative side we keep guarding; on the positive side we have not, in any sustained way, shepherded. If a child were drawn by the Lord, how could he still be drawn by video games? If a child treasured this very Lord, how would he take pleasure in keeping company with bad friends? Brothers and sisters, no defence holds — there is no way you can guard your child against everything he encounters at school. Today everywhere there are evil things; but what is to be done? The best way, the surest way, the only way, is "Shepherd your child."
II. The Practice of Shepherding
From today onward, all of us parents must rise up to shepherd our children. Do not say any more: "The child is too small to understand" — for the child is "the younger he is, the more spiritually responsive he is." Let me give you several ways.
1. Shepherd the child through the history of God's union with you, or the history of God's acting within you — Exo. 13:14–16
Exo. 13:14 — And when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What is this? you shall say to him, By strength of hand Jehovah brought us out from Egypt, from the slave house. Exo. 13:15 — And when Pharaoh hardened himself against letting us go, Jehovah slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I am one who sacrifices to Jehovah all that open the womb that are males; and all the firstborn of my sons I redeem. Exo. 13:16 — So it will be as a sign upon your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand Jehovah brought us out of Egypt.
This kind of shepherding is very simple — it does not even require preparation. It is simply to tell your child the history of God's union with you, or the history of God's acting within you. From the Old Testament side, it is the history of God being joined to man; from the New Testament side, it is the history of God acting within you. These histories are the history of your salvation, the history of your loving the Lord, the history of your touching the Lord, even right up to today the entire history of how you are being drawn by Him. Five minutes per meal, or eight minutes — bit by bit, course by course, nourish them down. It may take a month's time really to get through the history of God's working within you — so dad takes a month, then mom takes a month.
This passage cites Exodus 13, verses 14 to 16: it speaks of how God ordained that every year the children of Israel were to keep the Passover — the Passover is a type of Christ as our Redeemer, to become our eternal memorial. Every Passover they were to prepare the lamb, prepare every detail; and then God said this very word: "And when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What is this? you shall say to him, By strength of hand Jehovah brought us out from Egypt." "In time to come" — that is to say, in the years afterward when Israel would be preparing the Passover again. "And when your son asks you, What is this?" — Has your child not asked you: "The meeting — what is this? The breaking of the bread — what is this? Prayer — what is this? The Lord's word — what is this? The plaque hanging on the wall in our home — what is that?" How do you answer? You can take it up and say: "By the strong hand of Jehovah we were brought out of Egypt, out of the slave house. There were many things along the way that did not allow us to leave; Jehovah killed all the firstborn of Egypt, both man and beast, in order that by the strong hand we might be brought out of Egypt." This passage is most precious — it is Jehovah Himself describing it.
Whenever you do this, the child will ask you questions; and do not feel: "A child does not understand these things — don't bother him with so much." On the contrary, you must explain it to him; at the very least, you must explain to him the history of salvation. This passage carries the meaning of Israel's salvation — "Your father, when he was in Egypt, in the slave house, in this world, on Pharaoh's behalf was building cities and was suffering very deeply; the result was that the God of Jehovah by the strong hand brought us out of Egypt. At that time it wasn't easy: your father had been doubting for a long while, asked many questions, was embarrassed to receive baptism, dragged it out and dragged it out. Pharaoh nearly did not let me go. The result was that the God of Jehovah killed all the firstborn of Egypt. Have you noticed? — When you were baptized, all that you used to lean upon, the Lord killed off. The firstborn of Egypt is your face — what you first learned coming out of Egypt was 'losing face.' Why be baptized? Don't! It's too much losing-face! How could anything as easy as a water-washing be that real? — I won't fall for it! I have to look into this thoroughly. Pharaoh nearly did not let me go. But because the God of Jehovah loved me, all the firstborn of Egypt were killed off, and then by the strong hand He led me out."
This story takes a month to tell, five minutes a day; your child eating his meal will be very happy. "Daddy — and what happened next?" "We'll save it for tomorrow; keep eating." Each day, just a little more. In this way, besides telling the history of salvation, you can also tell of how you were drawn to Him, how you saw the church, how you came to live the church life, how you came to love Him, and how you were perfected in the church life, how you have touched the Lord, how you have experienced Him — these stories, told to the child — and that's another month. These stories are inexhaustible. Of course, all these stories are worth letting your child touch — these are not doctrine — they are also life.
2. Shepherd the child through the example-stories of the figures in the Bible, leading the child to treasure Christ's person, traits, virtues, work, accomplishments, and all
This second kind of shepherding is also not difficult — it is something many mothers have already been doing — telling Bible stories. Telling Bible stories is certainly important; but there must be shepherding, not merely the telling of stories.
If you tell Bible stories to a child, you will most likely love telling Judges, because it is so brilliant — Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, all marvellous figures. But please remember: "Without revelation, there can be no shepherding." Otherwise, after a great pile of Bible stories the child has not necessarily been shepherded. Judges depicts today's Christianity: one big man comes, men gather to him; the big man departs, and they all scatter. The conclusion of the whole book of Judges is not a glorious Christ; on the contrary it is, "In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes." That is the conclusion of Judges. So Judges should not be told too much — pass through it briefly. But the moment one gets to Christ, talk more. So when telling stories, "there must be revelation" — do not let the child hear many fine stories yet fail to gain Christ.
Furthermore, when you tell stories, every time the conclusion must rest upon "Jehovah God," and upon "the Lord Jesus whom we love in the New Testament," and upon "the treasuring of Him and the giving of thanks to Him." Don't let it be that, after hearing many stories, your child only remembers that the blind and the deaf were healed but forgets to give the glory to the Lord Jesus. For "Christ alone is the content of our shepherding." If we cannot reveal this Christ to a person, if we cannot bring our children to treasure Him, give thanks to Him, give thanks for the things He has done, treasure them, give praise and treasuring for who He is — if we lack this conclusion, our shepherding suffers a lack, and the Bible stories we tell suffer a lack also.
If you are going to tell of Adam, don't only say he ate one fruit; do not bring out anything that does not match the Scripture. What should you tell? You should tell: "Jehovah God, when I had fallen, killed for me a lamb, shed blood for me, found a sheepskin for me, sewed me a coat of skins, and covered me. And He used the sacrificial victim of this shed blood to take my place; and used the skin-coat He had made to be joined to me." This is the work of God's shepherding — it represents Christ shedding His blood for us, laying down His life for us, and so shepherding us. This is the conclusion of the story of Adam.
Don't tell to the end and have everyone guessing where the apple went — that is utterly without value. With the New Testament, you must tell of the Lord Jesus. The first story must be: how did the Lord Jesus come? — He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, born as a God-man, His name Immanuel. This is the outline of the story. After telling the story, ask: "Who is the Lord Jesus?" — Otherwise the child only remembers the story without receiving the shepherding within the story.
In Matthew 2 we read of the flight of the young Lord Jesus. This was not His flight — it was the parents carrying Him. In this chapter you must be able to bring out gaining Christ by relying on the living Christ and the Lord's word leading us to recognize Christ. At the same time, you must also see that every one of the Lord Jesus' steps is in the Father's foreordination. "Out of Egypt I have called My Son" — this on the one hand speaks of God calling all His sons out of Egypt; on the other hand it also calls out the Son who is the Representative — because He went down into Egypt for our sake.
In every story, do not forget "Christ is the centre," and you have shepherding. If, on top of this, you say a little more about your experience of the Lord on the basis of this passage, the shepherding is even fuller. This is the second point — to learn to "declare Christ."
3. Shepherding that meets the children's actual needs
We long for our children to fear God. But the child, before he knows it, drifts away from a posture of fearing — not that we want him to be everywhere a poor little restrained child, but that we want them to have "a heart of fearing God."
Sometimes the moment a child is brought to prayer, he giggles. The moment it rains, he says, "How tiresome! It's raining again." Even when the sun is bright, he says, "How tiresome — it's so hot!" — rain is no good, sun is no good either; these are situations of not fearing God. How then can the child come to have a heart of fearing? — He needs some shepherding. You should tell the child: "This unique true God of the universe is the One who loves us; in every matter He does for us — whether He gives us birth, raises us, gives us life, gives us breath, gives us all things — it is all because He loves us. Because He loves us, we ought to fear offending Him; we ought to have a fearing heart toward Him."
First — "We ought to fear offending Him." "Fearing God" — in the original this is to fear (fear). What are we to fear? — To fear offending Him. Do you know? — If you do not pray, the love of the Lord has no way to come upon you, and He is grieved. If you do not gather to the meeting, He feels your child has not come home, and He is grieved. Perhaps you only haven't met, you haven't done anything bad, you haven't offended Him — but He still has a heart heavy for you. We must fear offending Him — this is the first item of fearing.
Second — "We ought to fear losing His blessing." Let your children see: all the wisdom you have today is His blessing. The clothing you wear today is His blessing. The little bit of love-toward-the-Lord that is within you today, that also is His blessing. He is the source of blessing and of supply; therefore we must fear losing His blessing. If you are proud, if you depend on yourself in everything, if you do not pray for any matter — He cannot bless, He cannot be your source — and you will lose blessing.
Third — "We ought to recognize that He is the source." Our God is the God who created the universe; He is the Creator; all things came forth from Him and are managed by Him. "He sends rain from heaven and gives fruitful seasons, satisfying us with food and filling our hearts with gladness." The latter half of Matthew 5:45 says: "For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust." Let the child see — the rain is given by God; so when you curse the rain, you curse this Creator; in the same way, when you grumble against the sun, you grumble against this Creator. Lead him to learn to recognize the Source.
Fourth — "We ought to recognize that He is the Manager of all things." Lastly, let your children see that our God is the Manager of all things, the Head of the universe. We must fear offending Him: to be a picky eater is itself an offence to the Lord, for all things were made by Him and we ought to receive them with thanksgiving. If we do not receive with thanksgiving, then nothing should be rejected — for all is sanctified beforehand to be supply to us, that we may live for the sake of God's economy. To giggle frivolously is also an offence to Him. Scripture says, "You shall not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain." For the children to come into a real fear of God, you need this much shepherding — and this is what we call "topical shepherding."
— End of Message One —