An Amazing Lesson Taught & Caught

I have been reading to the children lately this wonderful book, that I read when I was their age.  Hind's Feet On High Places by Hannah Hurnard, in this book, which is an allegory tells of Much Afraid's journey to the "high places" where our Shepherd is leading her and teaching how to live in the "high places".  We came to a part where the Shepherd asked an interesting question to Much Afraid, "Much Afraid, supposing I really did deceive you?  What then?"  Of course up to this point the journey she had been on had led her away from the high places into valleys, deserts, precipces and they were finally closer to the high places then ever before. Not to mention the enemies that were trying to deter her from going with the Shepherd.  But she said "My Lord - if you can deceive me, you may.  It can make no difference.  I must love you as long as I continue to exist.  I cannot live without loving you."  Shortly after that they continue on the journey and they come to where it looks like they have to make the journey all over again...so she thinks ....so it looks and the Shepherds question comes to mind and she for the first time in the story actually thinks of turning back.  It is in this very moment she screams out to the Shepherd, " Shepherd!  Shepherd! Help me! Where are you? Don't leave me?  the next instant He is their holding her and she is sobbing You may do anything, you may ask anything .....the next thing struck me hard to my very soul.  Much Afraid is crying out O my Lord, don't let ME LEAVE YOU.  Entreat me not to leave thee nor to return from following after thee." All the other hopes and dreams  that the Shepherd had said she could and would have in the high places were nothing except for her love for Him.  She learned she wanted only the Master and nothing more and nothing less.  "Prone to wonder Lord I feel it prone to leave the God I love"  

In this lesson I learned, that though trails and valleys, precipces and loss look daunting and time worry some.  My Lord will never leave me NOR should I have want to leave Him.  His promises are true and He is not a man that He should lie.

Resting at my Shepherd's feet.