Charis
July 24, 2022
Recently I studied John 10, and when I thought about the passage, it blew me away.
Have you ever owned a pet? Currently my family has a dog and a cat. Though technically they both are the family's, I'm pretty sure our Mini Aussie, Dallas, would say he's my dog!
Ever since we got Dallas from a farm, I was his primary caretaker. I'm the one who walks and feeds him each day, who refreshes his water. I play with him, and teach him tricks. And usually I'm the one who has to give him a potty break outside when it's 20 degree weather (which means going completely outside with him since he won't go out very far without me!). But the most important thing is I love him and know him, and he loves me.
In John 10, Jesus says, "I Am the Good Shepherd." And being a shepherd is much harder than caring for a dog! Sheep need protection from thieves and wild animals, need to be kept from wandering off, and need good pasture and calm water.
Jesus does the same for us who believe in Him, His sheep! He protects us from danger, and leads us. In fact, verse 15 tells us Jesus even would lay His life down for us. And He did. He gives us everything we need. But what sticks out to me is Jesus loves His sheep. He calls us by name (v. 3), and He knows us (v. 14). When I think about that, all I can do is marvel. I've always known God loves me. After all, He loves everyone. And of course I know He knows everything about me.
I realized, however, that each of us are not just one sheep in a sea of white wool; we're individuals to Him. He knows each of us, and cares! If someone asked Him, "Who's that over there?" Jesus wouldn't just tell them, "Oh, that's Bob." He would talk about them with passion, in the way I would tell others about Dallas. He could say, "That's Bob. He's awesome. He does have some problems, like anger, and some quirks, like only eating cereal in orange juice, but he's my child, and he is strong in trials and can bring comfort to people just when they need it. I love him."
So know Jesus really does care about you. He wants the very best for you, and He'll never abandon you! Because you believe in Him, you'll forever be His sheep!
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