Verse 10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
The Thief, Satan, comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
His purpose is to make our lives and our eternities hell. That is no surprise
to most of us.
But what about the rest of verse 10? Jesus came to give us
life, full, abundant life.
How often do I think about that?
What is the abundance of life Jesus wants to give to me?
In verse 9, he says I will be able to go in and out and find
pasture. To me that says that as I stay close to Jesus, not only will I have my
needs met, but also I have freedom to move about and find even more of what is
available to me in life.
Verses 3-5: The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and
the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them
out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and
his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never
follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not
recognize a stranger’s voice.
Jesus knows us so well, he calls us by our names. He wants
us to recognize his voice, and he promises to lead us. The closer we stay to
him, and the more we listen to what he says to us, the harder it will be to hear
the voice of any who want to steal and destroy us.
Jesus, you want to keep me safe from those who would harm me. Teach me to listen to you and to open my eyes to the lavish delights of life you want to give me.
Thank you for these reminders, Kathy. Caught up in the rat race of got-get-this-done this week, your post is a pleasant reprieve. I sensed the open pasture, the smell of the green grass, and the peace that comes from following the shepherd! Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Amre.:)
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