Devotion 12/12, His Sheep

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:7,9-10

Jesus is referring to Himself as the gate for the sheep. We who know Christ as Savior are the “sheep”. Which of course is an excellent analogy, sheep are totally dependent on the shepherd, they are not the brightest of animals, they put up little fight when attacked by a predator. To the prowling wolf or coyote they are easy pickings for a meal. However, if the shepherd is there, the sheep are safe from attack for the predator does not want to tangle with him.
When we belong to Christ, He is our protector, when we abide in Him we are safe from our predator, satan, for he does not want to tangle with Jesus Christ!
Christ is the gate or door. Christianity is not a church or religion, rather it is a Person, and that Person is Jesus Christ. Salvation can only be received through Christ. Being kind to others will not do it, neither will taking communion, or giving money to the church….while these are all obedient and good works to do, they cannot bring us to God, only Jesus can do that (Romans 3:25, Ephesians 1:7).
The invitation is for everyone, but to be saved one must receive Christ by faith, it is a personal act, and without it there is no salvation (John 5:24, Romans 4:5, Acts 16:31. John 3:16).
After salvation has occurred we “go in and out and find pasture”. We go into the presence of God by faith to worship and then go out into the world to witness for the Lord. It is a picture of perfect security and liberty in the service of Christ. He is our Sustainer and Satisfier, and we find pasture (spiritual feeding) in His Word.

Jesus came to the world to fulfill the Old Testament, not change it, and to give us life. He didn’t come to bring us rules, or judgement, or fear, or work. Jesus came to give us life in its fullest form. While we know that this is promised to us when we go to be with him for all eternity, John wants us to clearly hear that Jesus’ promise to give us life begins right now! Not JUST life later, but also life NOW!

Holy Father, I confess that sometimes I play life too carefully, not risking failure and loss and not reaching for your opportunities and your concerns. Give me a heart that yearns to live life in all its fullness by seeking after your will. I seek Jesus’ example and the Holy Spirit’s leading in my decisions today, and always. Through the name of Jesus I ask this to your glory. Amen.

The Lord is our shepherd. My best days are when I follow Him. Lord, lead me, protect me, comfort me as my Shepherd. Life in You protects me from satan and his predators. Feed me through Your Word and lead me by Your Holy Spirit to be a reflection of your abounding love to all I meet today. This I ask in Jesus, my Shepherd’s name, Amen.
CeCe rocks it again! The lyrics so simple, the message so powerful. Choose to follow Christ through faith today!