Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

One of my favorite videos on the internet is the one where the sheep is stuck in a ditch. Two men pull him out, and he is so excited to be free. He runs and jumps and… jumps straight back into another ditch.

Whenever I read or hear references of the Good Shepherd, that is what I think of. I am the dumbest of sheep. I am constantly getting myself into trouble, stuck in a ditch if you will. It’s a good thing we have The Great Shepherd watching over us, don’t you think?

Shepherds live with their sheep. They learn their sheep. They call their sheep by name. They protect their sheep. And eastern sheep follow their shepherd.

Does that sound familiar? It should. Verse 27 says this, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” 

Jesus knows us. He knows us by name, and He calls us by name. The important question is do we know Him? Do we know what the Bible says?

Everywhere you turn there are people tugging and pulling and enticing you to go in another direction. People say, “Oh, that’s not what God meant by that verse.” or, “Did He really say that?”

How are we supposed to decipher the truth from the lies and manipulation that the enemy throws our way?

We dive into the Word. Knowing what the Bible says is how we become sensitive to the Spirit. Being sensitive to the Spirit is how we learn our Shepherd’s voice.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Take a moment today and listen to “Shepherd” by Highlands Worship. Meditate on the lyrics and let that be the cry of your soul.

Family Application: John 10

By: Carrington Stuart

In today’s story from the book of John, Jesus uses a story to teach a lesson. These stories are called parables. This parable is about a good shepherd and his sheep. A shepherd is someone whose job is to watch and take care of sheep. He spends all day, every day making sure that they are safe and that they don’t wander off from the group and get lost. A shepherd also protects the sheep from wild animals or anything that may want to hurt them.

Just like a good shepherd with his sheep, Jesus watches over us every day and will never leave us. He wants to protect us from people or places that might hurt us and lead us away from Him. Jesus uses this story to remind us that we should listen to Him, even when it’s hard. Sometimes it may seem more fun to wander off and get lost like a sheep, but staying safe and obeying Jesus is always the best choice. He loves us so much!

• How can you listen to Jesus this week? What do you think Jesus wants you to do when He asks you to obey Him? Who can you pray for this week?
• Prayer: God, thank You for sending Jesus to be like a good shepherd to us. Help me to listen to Him and obey Him even when I think that I know better. Keep me safe and help me to make good decisions that honor You. Please teach me how to follow Jesus and stay with Him, always! In Jesus’ name, Amen.