Pastor John,
Last week, when Dee and I took our dog to the vet, the tech who greeted us had a tattoo on her arm that read, John 10:10. I wasn’t familiar with that scripture until later when I read it. Jesus is speaking to his disciples saying, “The thief comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and have it abundantly.”
Then, in verse 3, Jesus says, “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him ( the shepherd) and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4. And once he has driven out his sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5. They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him because they don’t know the voice of strangers.”
Thinking back over the years how Dee and I would venture from one church to another, staying for a while, then moving on. We would seek out different denominations, but neither heard nor felt anything that would satisfy our souls.
Then one day, a follower of another shepherd led us to a new and glorious pasture. We met the shepherd; he was kind and caring and his voice was gentle. He loved his sheep, and they loved him, and he nourished them with wonderful, satisfying food. The pasture was peaceful and full of love.
Then, for a time, we returned to our previous pasture. Upon returning, we realized that the grass wasn’t as moist and sweet as the pasture we just visited. There seemed to be unrest and strife among the sheep. There was no peace, and the hireling was speaking things that didn’t sound true.
We had heard the voice of the true shepherd that we had longed for, for so many years. We fled back to that delightful pasture and received a warm welcome from the other sheep.
We are so thankful for where we are now, sharing our lives with each other in sweet fellowship. We love our shepherd and his faithful caring for us. We know that in this pasture, we will not be robbed or killed or destroyed. We are now free, and can partake that promised abundant life.
Amen!
Jim K