My Life: #3 Wolf, Wolf - Where Is the Wolf?
There once was a shepherd boy who was bored as he sat on the hillside watching the village sheep. To amuse himself, he took a great breath and sang out, "Wolf! Wolf! The Wolf is chasing the sheep!"
Wolf, Wolf – Where Is The Wolf?
There once was a shepherd boy who was bored as he sat on the hillside watching the village sheep. To amuse himself, he took a great breath and sang out, "Wolf! Wolf! The Wolf is chasing the sheep!"
The villagers ran up the hill to help the boy drive the wolf away. But when they arrived at the top of the hill, they found no wolf. The boy laughed at the sight of their angry faces.
"Don't cry 'wolf,’ shepherd boy," said the villagers, "when there's no wolf!" They went grumbling back down the hill.
Later, the boy sang out again, "Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!" To his naughty delight, he watched the villagers run up the hill to help him drive the wolf away.
When the villagers saw no wolf they sternly said, "Save your frightened song for when there is really something wrong! Don't cry 'wolf' when there is NO wolf!"
But the boy just grinned and watched them grumble down the hill again.
Later, he saw a REAL wolf prowling about his flock. Alarmed, he leaped to his feet and sang out as loudly as he could, "Wolf! Wolf!"
But the villagers thought he was trying to fool them again, so they didn't come.
At sunset, everyone wondered why the shepherd boy hadn't returned to the village with their sheep. They went up the hill to find the boy. They found him weeping.
"There really was a wolf here! The flock has scattered! I cried out, "Wolf!" Why didn't you come?"
An old man tried comforting the boy as they returned to the village.
"We'll help you look for the lost sheep in the morning," he said, putting his arm around the youth, "Nobody believes a liar...even when he is telling the truth!"
This Greek fable communicates a powerful principle: “Nobody believes a liar…even when he is telling the truth.” One of the key ways that Satan diminishes future prophets of Truth is through messing with their childhood – particularly forming a fleshly pattern of the child crying wolf. Permit me to share this story again, but this time in a paraphrase I believe the Lord gave me.
There once was a boy who was called to be a prophet of the Living God who was restless, lacking love and acceptance. The boy had no idea of his calling by the great Shepherd. The Shepherd wanted to train the boy to care for His sheep, but rejection constantly distracted him. Then one day, while the great Shepherd was training the boy he realized that the only time the people paid attention to him was when he was in trouble so he cried out “Help, I’m in trouble! I’m in trouble, I need help! The wolf (enemy) is chasing me!”
The people came running to help the boy drive the enemy away. But when they arrived at the place of the boy, they found no enemy. The boy found great pleasure in the urgency he saw on their faces.
“Don’t exaggerate little boy,” said the people, “When there is no trouble!” The people walked away from the boy labeling him a ‘little liar.’
Later, the boy cried out again, “Help, I’m in trouble! I’m in trouble, I need help! The wolf (enemy) is chasing me!” To his excitement, he watched the people come to his rescue to help him in his time of trouble.
When the people saw no trouble they sternly said, “Save your call for help when there is really something wrong! Don’t cry out for help when you do not need it!”
But the boy found great comfort in their coming to his rescue and watched the people retreat in disappointment and frustration.
Later, the boy had real trouble, for he saw the enemy (Satan) of the great Shepherd prowling around seeking whom he may devour. Alarmed, he leaped to his feet and cried out, “Help, I’m in trouble! I’m in trouble, I need help! The wolf (enemy) is chasing me!”
But this time, the people thought the boy was just trying to get attention, and so they didn’t come. The boy not knowing what to do, knowing he couldn’t count on the people – he cried out to the great Shepherd. The Shepherd saved the boy and chase the wolf (enemy) away.
As time passed, the people wondered why the shepherd boy in training hadn’t cried out for help anymore. They all went to check on him and found that the boy was content and filled with joy. The people being curious they asked, “Why the change little boy?” With great excitement, the boy said, “I found the great Shepherd, He rescued me! “We don’t believe you boy!” With that, the people walked away in disbelief of what the boy had said.
Later that night the boy went to the great Shepherd and asked, “Why didn’t the people believe me when I told them about You?” Then the great Shepherd gracefully said, “Nobody believes a liar…even now that you are telling the Truth!”
This was my life story for many years. Through my entries, I will share my heart for why I did cry “wolf.”
This Greek fable was written in the 13th century and history tells us that it was a child’s story to communicate what happens when a boy grows up lying and once converted to Christianity, no one believe what he had to say about the Shepherd who saves and the fact that the enemy is chasing the sheep of the Shepherd.
We do not know if the original author was gaining his insight from the original teaching that was given to us through the prophet Isaiah but here is the passage:
Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and faithfulness the belt about His waist. And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea. (Isa 11:1-9 NASB)
This passage is clearly communicating the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, what He will accomplish regarding the Wolf, and what Heaven will be like after He has righteously judged the entire human race and the demonic realm.
I was blessed to produce 129 animated episodes of “Jack The Journey” - a children series of the life of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” after the Savior redeemed him. LISTEN TODAY
Next: “The Boy’s Scottish/Irish Back Story” The name Phinney originally appeared in Gaelic (Celtic Highlands of Scotland) as “O Fiannaidhe.” The name is an Irish description of “a strong soldier.”