Our Good Shepherd has a variety of experiences in His flock. Some are strong in the Lord, while others are weak in faith; but He cares for all His sheep equally, and the weakest lamb is as dear to Him as the most mature member of the flock. Lambs tend to lag behind, wander off, and get tired easily;

but the Shepherd protects them from all these dangers with His powerful arm. He finds new believers, like young lambs, at the brink of perishing—He nourishes them until they grow strong. He finds those with weak minds, ready to give up—and He comforts them and renews their strength.

Don’t dismiss the worries and early signs of repentance in young children. It’s a serious mistake to discourage a tender conscience in a child, for it plays right into the hands of the Evil One. No one knows how young the age of accountability is, and

no one can say when children are capable of conversion. I can personally testify that God’s grace works in some hearts even at the very beginning of their reasoning abilities.