Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "The Good Shepherd" for Saturday, 19 July 2014 - Read John 10:7-18

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "The Good Shepherd" for Saturday, 19 July 2014 - Read John 10:7-18
6-10 Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
11-13 “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him.
14-18 “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They’ll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father.”
Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.(1 Peter 3:18 (NIV))
My wife and I were on holiday a few years ago in a rural location, and the place where we were staying overlooked a sheep pasture. The sheep were free to roam the fields and hills, but a fence kept them within the bounds of safety. One morning we awoke and saw that someone had left the gate open. Sheep were wandering about all over the place, and some were in danger. Soon the shepherd came, closed the gate, and rounded them up until they were all safely within the enclosure. Reflecting on the verses from John 10 above reminded me of the Good Shepherd, who came to bring us safely back to God. He went to great lengths for us in suffering on the cross and dying as our substitute. Only because of what Christ endured can we both know with confidence and enjoy the safety of the shepherd’s care and attention. Following the Good Shepherd can be challenging. But the words of 1 Peter remind us that Christ had experienced much human suffering even though he was not guilty. Christ knows what we are going through. Peter’s letter encourages us to keep living faithful lives for Christ.
The Author: Mark Wallace (Suffolk, England)
Thought for the Day: When we stray, the Good Shepherd leads us safely back to God.
Prayer: Thank you, loving God, for the gift of your son who leads us safely back to you. Amen.

Prayer focus: Sheep farmers
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