The Sheep Pen
John 10:1-11 (TLB)
“Anyone refusing to walk through the gate into a sheepfold, who sneaks over the wall, must surely be a thief! 2 For a shepherd comes through the gate. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 He walks ahead of them; and they follow him, for they recognize his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger but will run from him, for they don’t recognize his voice.” 6 Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them. “I am the Gate for the sheep,” he said. 8 “All others who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the Gate. Those who come in by way of the Gate will be saved and will go in and out and find green pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. 11 “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Jesus takes care of me like a Shepherd looks after a sheep, in every way.
He says I am His sheep – vulnerable and defenceless – but He is my Shepherd, whom I allow to look after me in my weakness. The mystery is this. In allowing Him to look after me in my weakness, He gives me His own power and authority so that I don’t fall prey to other wrong powers and authorities that want to control my life, or steal from me and drain me of who I am authentically created to be.
John 10:11-17 (GNT)
“I am the good shepherd, who is willing to die for the sheep. 12 When the hired man, who is not a shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees a wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away; so the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hired man runs away because he is only a hired man and does not care about the sheep. 14-15 I am the good shepherd. As the Father knows me and I know the Father, in the same way I know my sheep and they know me. And I am willing to die for them. 16 There are other sheep which belong to me that are not in this sheep pen. I must bring them, too; they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
Pray for those who are not in the sheep pen yet. Some of them you know. The thief wants to keep them from entering. He wants to stop you from making your mark on their lives. He makes it as difficult as he can for you. But you have the overcoming power and authority of Jesus Christ. Pray for the lost sheep, declaring that they belong in the fold. Keep praying that they will hear the voice of their Shepherd.
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