Saturday 27 Oct 2018

October 27: John 10:1-5

Key Verse: John 10:4
When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

Devotion:
What a simple picture this parable paints for us and what an example; and yet the Pharisees could not get it! Life does not have to be so difficult that we do not know what is going to happen from day to day. Life does not have to be discouraging. If we are reliant on One who is able to care for us and to lead us, like sheep rely on the shepherd, then what care should we have of what may be before us?

God’s church is likened to a sheep-fold here, placed squarely in a land where there are dangers to avoid (why else would there be a sheep-fold if there were not dangers?). The sheep-fold is a protection which serves as long as the sheep are within its confines; as soon as the sheep leave the fold, they are no longer protected by the fold but have to rely on other factors. If the sheep were to know just how bad it was outside, would they want to venture out at all? Probably not... But when the shepherd comes forward to lead the sheep out, they hear a familiar voice and are no longer afraid. They know that voice will not allow them to fall into danger and they will follow it wherever it goes.

We are like those sheep – but we also know we are not like those sheep! We may hear the voice of God guiding us through many ways, but we also think we know things which others don’t! We look around and we see dangers and pitfalls and we make up our minds as to whether we think they will trap us or not. We then walk off and face various things because we think we are strong enough to manage them or intelligent enough to avoid the dangers lurking within. Unfortunately for us, we do not know just who has laid those traps and we do not know how dangerous they actually are. Fortunately, we do have a shepherd who is watching over us and will guide us... so long as we listen to Him!

See, that’s the big issue. We need to be willing to listen to God’s instructions in our lives and to be willing to follow His will in our lives. That way He can keep us safely at all times!

Points to Ponder:
Do you feel a bit like a sheep sometimes?

Do you trust your Shepherd?