Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: John 10 and Psalm 45

In John 10, Jesus describes His relationship with us (His disciples/followers) as being like a good shepherd’s relationship with his sheep.

He describes Himself as the Good Shepherd who loves us, His sheep, so deeply that He is willing to lay down His life to save us (v.11, 15) not under compulsion but voluntarily (v.18). He promises that, once we are His, no one will ever be able to snatch us away from Him or from His Father’s care, and that He will give us eternal life so that we will never die (v.28 & 29).

He promises us that He will lead us (v.3), save us (v.9a), pasture/nourish us (v.9b), and give us life in all its fullness (v.10), which will endure for this lifetime and also for all eternity (v.28).

All of this is His work. It’s His grace. But we also have a role to play in receiving this grace. We have to come to Him (v.9) and then we have to learn to know His voice, listen to His voice, and follow His voice. This is a deeply relational role. Jesus is not describing a religion here. He’s describing a deeply personal relationship. So, whether it is learning to hear His voice through the inspired words of the Bible or in the still, small voice of His Spirit within us, or in the whisperings of our consciences, or in the revelations that come in a moment of worshipful wonder … we are called to be on a life-long quest to know the voice of Jesus, listen carefully to the voice of Jesus, and diligently obey the voice of Jesus. This is the only way to follow Him in His fullness of life.

Life Application: Take time today to sit in stillness, asking Jesus at least one pointed question on which you need His guidance, and then listening tfor His loving whisper.