Which Way Are You Leading?

In the 18th chapter of Matthew, we read -- "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.  How think ye?  if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?  And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."
Yesterday, I found this poem by an unknown author and it challenged my heart.  May God help us as sheep to walk humbly with Him -- to follow where He leads and pasture where He feeds -- to grow in grace -- to dig deeper and climb higher -- to trust and obey -- to cherish the "Old Rugged Cross" -- to live a holy life so that the lambs following behind will not be led astray.

     "It was a sheep, not a lamb, that strayed away,
In the parable Jesus told;
      A grown-up sheep, that had gone astray
From ninety and nine in the fold.

     Out on the hillside, out in the cold,
It was a sheep the Good Shepherd sought;
      And back to the flock, safe into the fold,
It was a sheep the Good Shepherd brought.

      And why for the sheep should we earnestly long,
And as earnestly hope and pray?
      Because there is danger!  If they go wrong,
They will lead the lambs astray.

      For the lambs will follow the sheep, you know,
Wherever the sheep may stray;
      When the sheep go wrong, it will not be long
Until the lambs are as wrong as they.

      And so for the sheep we earnestly plead,
For the sake of the lambs today;
      If the lambs are lost, what terrible cost
Some sheep will have to pay."