“The hired hand is
not the shepherd…he abandons the sheep and runs away…and cares nothing for the
sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my
sheep and my sheep know me…” John 10:12-14.
“He will come in and go out, and
find pasture…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full…”
John 10:9-10.
Jesus spoke eloquently in the metaphor of the sheep
pen. His words painted beautiful imagery
of the hillside where the sheep roamed and were protected. His masterful strokes on this canvas depict
the level of intimacy between the shepherd and His sheep. He warns us of the hired hand abandoning the
sheep when danger approaches. He states that one gives life to the fullest while
the other will turn his back.
As I consider this metaphor today, I cannot help but to
compare the hired hand with the world.
How many times have I bought into the world’s comfort and security only
to have it abandon me and turn its back on me? It wasn’t until I realized that
only by following Jesus will I be led to my God-given purpose and God-given
plan. He leads me in and leads me out of
decisions that are critical to my success in Him. He helps me find my pasture…that place of
satisfaction in Him where peace prevails and His purposes are fulfilled. He doesn’t desire to just give me life for
that was done in July of 1961. He desires to give me abundant life
and experience it to the fullest extent through Him.
So I ask you this morning, what have you bought into as a
means of satisfaction and security? What
price are you paying building a life based on your own agenda? Do you feel abandoned by the very things you
have bought into? Jesus has come to
reveal that we must abandon the things that will eventually abandon
us. We must turn our back on the
‘hired hands’…those things of the world that will fail us every
time. By following Jesus we have
continual access to the Holy Spirit who is our guide and will move us in and out
of situations. We will learn not to seek
the approval of the world, but trust God for His movement.
He goes before
us…He stands beside us…He never leaves us.
No comments:
Post a Comment