Day 138

1 Samuel 22:1–23:29; John 10:1-21; Psalm 115:1-18; Proverbs 15:18-19

IN OUR READING from 1 Samuel today, we saw David become a full-blown fugitive on the run —and we witnessed the near total insanity of King Saul. The king had the priest Ahimelech killed for simply inquiring of God on behalf of David. Ahimelech was completely innocent and oblivious to the accusations of Saul, but it did no good. Then Saul had Ahimelech’s whole household killed, which included eighty-five priests in their priestly garments. Meanwhile, David continued moving from place to place. He hid in a cave near the city of Adullam (which is at the end of the valley of Elah, where he slew Goliath) and ended up in the caves of En-gedi, near the Dead Sea.

In our reading from John’s Gospel, we encountered well-trodden territory. “I am the good shepherd,” Jesus said (John 10:11). This was part of a larger discussion in which Jesus used shepherding as an illustration for His Kingdom and ministry. He described those who vault over a wall and into a sheep pen as thieves and robbers, while noting that a true shepherd enters by the gate and calls to his sheep. The sheep follow the shepherd because they know his voice.

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy,” Jesus said. “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10). If you think about it, this one verse quite succinctly describes the plot of the story we seem to be living in, and when we realize this, we see much context emerge around our days, weeks, and months.

Jesus’ message was clear: He and His sheep share a deep, mutual understanding of one another. We, the sheep, can hear our Shepherd’s voice and be guided as only He can guide us. Without the voice and guidance of the Shepherd, we will not only go astray but also become vulnerable to the thief, whose ambition is to steal what can be taken, kill what can be stamped out, and destroy us in any way possible.

Thankfully, if we are one of Jesus’ sheep, we can and will hear His voice. All true relationships require more than a one-way conversation. It’s not a matter of whether Jesus still speaks. It’s a matter of whether we have learned to hear His voice. He has come that we might have life, and the first step to listening to God’s voice is practical: When we are considering a choice, we must simply ask, “Will this lead me deeper into the life Jesus offers?” If not, it’s not His voice.

WORSHIP:

Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.