Daily Archive

Verse of the Day – John 10:3b
…and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Devotional Thoughts

Jesus not only talks to us as our shepherd – He also calls us by name! Can you remember a time when you ran into someone you knew that you knew but had trouble recalling their name. You know, you smile and talk kindly to them because you know you know them and you try so hard to remember who they are! Hopefully they remember you or else you have a nice conversation and neither of you knows who the other really is.

Thankfully, even though Jesus rules the universe, He always recalls our name. He knows who we are and He will never (He cannot ever) forget who we are. The Book of Isaiah even tells us that our names are carved into the palms of God’s hands (Isa 49:16). He can’t drop us, shake us off, wash us away, or lose His grip on us. He cares so much about us and loves us so much that He does call us by name.

This is also significant of a special, intimate relationship. He knows us and calls us. He talks with us. He cares about us and our lives. No matter how small we seem or our needs seem in the scheme of things – God calls out to us by name.

Do you ever feel forgotten? Alone? Like no ones cares or even cares to care? Like you are a nobody, worthless and abandoned? Well, no matter how you feel you must understand that He knows you, He never leaves you, and He calls you by name. Sure you can’t see Him, that is why salvation requires faith, but you can know without a single doubt that He is there. At times we just need to inform our feelings of the truth.

And not only does He care and call us by name, He also leads us out. We will look later at what happened when the sheep leave the fold but for now it is important to notice that the shepherd leads the sheep. The shepherd is not a cowboy. He doesn’t drive the sheep like a herd of cattle. He doesn’t use a whip and loud noises to direct his flock. The shepherd simply and gently leads the way.

The sheep trust the shepherd. They know Him. He calls to them by name, they hear His voice and want to be where He is, so they follow. He leads, they follow. That is the Christian life summed up. He doesn’t whip, drive, beat, herd, or yell – He just simply leads the way. And if we know Him and hear His voice we follow wherever He goes. Wherever that may be we are safe because He is there with us, before us, leading us. We are safe, secure, protected, provided for, encouraged, motivated, and fed. We are loved.

Notice that in order to follow, we, the sheep, must know where the shepherd is, we must listen for His voice, and when we hear it we must follow wherever He leads. It is a matter of faith. Every day we must believe, trust, obey, and follow our shepherd. That is the only way to please Him, to get fed and watered and find rest with Him.

Today listen once again for His voice. When you hear it, be willing to follow wherever He leads. He expects you to follow today – will you? No Fear. No Worry. Just Faith. Just Jesus! Follow Him as He calls you personally by name today. Bask in His amazing love for you. (If you are not in the Word, you won’t hear His voice!)

Links for Further Study
(links to study each daily topic in more detail if you have the desire and the time)

The Treasury of David – Psalm 23 by Charles H. Spurgeon

(It is recommended that the reader take a small section of this work each day and meditate on the truths gleaned from Holy Scripture – today focus on the sections on verse 4).

Bible Reading For Further Study

Jeremiah 13
Isaiah 51

Recommended Songs for Worship

I Am Thine, O Lord
The King of Love My Shepherd Is