Bible League: Living His Word ... the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.— John 10:3 NLT There is the Good Shepherd and there is the stranger. Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11). It follows that Satan is the stranger. Believers are the sheep in this analogy. This means that they're followers. It's just a question of which voice they follow—that of Jesus or Satan. Some people may claim not to need a shepherd; they may claim to be their own shepherds, but this is nothing more than a foolish and idle boast. Ultimately, people are followers whether they want to be or not. Both the voice of the Shepherd and the voice of the stranger speak to the sheep, to guide them through life. They speak to them in a number of different ways. They may speak through circumstances, a friend, an inner voice, a deep conviction, or through the Bible, preaching, worldly literature, or other media. In whatever way it happens, the sheep hear the voices of both and must decide whom to follow. The sheep mentioned in our verse for today are Jesus' sheep, chosen by God. That's why they recognize Jesus' voice and trust it to follow it. When they follow Jesus, things go well for them. After all, Jesus is not called the Good Shepherd for nothing. He knows each one of his sheep by name and He personally leads them to the green pastures and still waters of life that they need. (Psalm 23:1-3). In verse 5, the stranger also calls to the sheep, but the flock of Jesus does not know His voice and runs away from Him. Once you become a sheep in Jesus' flock, you're always a sheep in Jesus' flock. As He said, "No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand" (John 10:28-29). If you're a Christian, you have the ability to recognize Jesus' voice. Listen to Him and ignore the other strange voices you're hearing. Listen to Him, then, and be guided to pastures of peace and plenty. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJudges 18, 19 Judges 18 -- Danites Settle in Laish, Take Micah's Idols NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Judges 19 -- A Levite's Concubine Degraded NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 10:25-42 Luke 10 -- Jesus Sends out the Seventy-two; Good Samaritan; Martha and Mary's House NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Do not withhold good from those who deserve itwhen it's in your power to help them. If you can help your neighbor now, don't say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I'll help you.” Insight Delaying to do good is inconsiderate and unfair, whether it is repaying a loan, returning a tool, or fulfilling a promise. Withholding destroys trust and creates a great inconvenience. Challenge Be as eager to do good as you are to have good done to you. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 118:12 In the name of the Lord I will destroy them.Our Lord Jesus, by his death, did not purchase a right to a part of us only, but to the entire man. He contemplated in his passion the sanctification of us wholly, spirit, soul, and body; that in this triple kingdom he himself might reign supreme without a rival. It is the business of the newborn nature which God has given to the regenerate to assert the rights of the Lord Jesus Christ. My soul, so far as thou art a child of God, thou must conquer all the rest of thyself which yet remains unblest; thou must subdue all thy powers and passions to the silver sceptre of Jesus' gracious reign, and thou must never be satisfied till he who is King by purchase becomes also King by gracious coronation, and reigns in thee supreme. Seeing, then, that sin has no right to any part of us, we go about a good and lawful warfare when we seek, in the name of God, to drive it out. O my body, thou art a member of Christ: shall I tolerate thy subjection to the prince of darkness? O my soul, Christ has suffered for thy sins, and redeemed thee with his most precious blood: shall I suffer thy memory to become a storehouse of evil, or thy passions to be firebrands of iniquity? Shall I surrender my judgment to be perverted by error, or my will to be led in fetters of iniquity? No, my soul, thou art Christ's, and sin hath no right to thee. Be courageous concerning this, O Christian! be not dispirited, as though your spiritual enemies could never be destroyed. You are able to overcome them--not in your own strength--the weakest of them would be too much for you in that; but you can and shall overcome them through the blood of the Lamb. Do not ask, "How shall I dispossess them, for they are greater and mightier than I?" but go to the strong for strength, wait humbly upon God, and the mighty God of Jacob will surely come to the rescue, and you shall sing of victory through his grace. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.Jeremiah 23:6 "In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, 'The LORD our righteousness.' Psa 71:16 I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone. Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Ephesians 2:14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe. Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD! Isaiah 31:5 Like flying birds so the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it; He will pass over and rescue it. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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