Attention, Everyone!

Attention, Everyone!

Bible Blast: Read Psalm 7:13-15

The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. Psalm 7:14

You’ve probably heard this story, but here goes.

There once was a boy who was in charge of watching a herd of sheep as they grazed on the hill. Since there wasn’t very much to do, he got bored. In order to entertain himself, he yelled, “Wolf! Wolf! There’s a wolf!”

Immediately other shepherds who were grazing their sheep at the bottom of the hill came running up to the boy to help him get rid of the sheep-stealing wolf. When they saw the boy, he was holding onto his stomach laughing. “There’s no wolf! Ha, ha! I was kidding!”

The other shepherds sternly said, “Never call ‘Wolf!’ when there is no wolf!” and they went back to their sheep.

A little while later, the boy cried wolf again. The shepherds came running up the hill to help him, and again they just found the boy laughing at them. One of the shepherds grabbed the boy by his shoulders, looked him right in the eyes, and said, “Do not cry ‘Wolf!’ when there is no wolf!”

Not long after that, the boy saw an actual wolf prowling near his sheep. He got very afraid and yelled, “Wolf! Wolf!” But the shepherds thought he was playing again, so they didn’t run up to help him.

When it was time to take the sheep back to their barns, the shepherds went up to check on the boy and his herd. They found him sitting on a rock, crying, “There really was a wolf, and he chased all my sheep away! I’m so sorry for tricking you! It’s my fault that my sheep are gone!”

Some people will do anything to get attention. They might even lie. They sound a lot like the boy who cried “Wolf!” in the old story.

Our focus verse says that evil ideas give birth to lies. It’s never okay to lie, even if you’re bored and lonely from “watching sheep.” In the story, the boy fell into his own trap. You can be sure that God protects those who tell the truth but lets liars fall into their own pit.

Girl Gab: Do you have a problem with always needing to be the center of attention? Do you ever lie to get that attention? Talk together about this problem, and confess it in prayer if you need to do so.