John 10. A chapter that talks all about sheep, so what does that mean to us? Let’s dive into to this story.
We are his sheep and he is our Shepard. This means that God knows each of us and we know him. Without that continual relationship, how could we trust God? Think of the job of a Shepard. Shepard’s are responsible for making sure the flock of sheep is taken care of. They are responsible for finding any sheep that are lost and also defending the flock to the point of death. So if we as sheep truly trust in God to be our Shepard than we should have no fear, right?
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
I don’t think God wants us to walk around thinking we are invincible but I do think God wants us to be reassured that when anything comes against us, he will be there.
If we could take anything from this passage, I would say that the key word is trust. Trust is so important in relationships. Without trust, a relationship cannot function. A marriage without trust becomes two roommates with a shared bank account. A parent/child relationship without trust becomes a rebellious child with no one to lean on. A friend relationship without trust becomes a never-ending battle against jealousy and fear. The list goes on and on.
It’s easy to say that our world would be a terrible place without trust. The funny thing is that our meaning of trust, and how we value that word, is only a glimpse of what God intended that to be. We won’t fully understand that word until we are united with our king in heaven.
So as we enjoy our turkey and football today, add, “trust” to your list of things to be thankful for. Thank you, lord, for being our Shepard and helping us through every situation because we know you’ve won every battle already. We trust you, God.
Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your time with family and have a great rest of your week! Thanks for reading.