I AM: Who Jesus Is Changes EverythingSample

The Good Shepherd
Without Jesus, we are wandering in the wilderness. We are stumbling in the dark. And we are also lost like sheep. We do not have a clear sense of direction, and we are easily swayed by different voices trying to tell us the right way to go. We are also vulnerable. We are left without any protection, defenseless against the scheme of the enemy. But God has not left us aimless. He has provided for us a Good Shepherd who leads us and keeps us safe within His hands.

In John 10:11–18, Jesus says of Himself, “I am the good shepherd.” Jesus is our Good Shepherd because He not only protects us, but He laid His life down for us. A shepherd would be willing to put himself in danger in order to keep his flock safe. But Jesus took one step further by allowing Himself to be killed on the cross in order for us to have eternal life with Him. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice, we are able to become part of God’s family, part of His fold forever. We are able to have an intimate relationship with the Lord where we know the sound of His voice, just as sheep know the voice of their shepherd.

But even when we come to faith in Christ, we have a choice to make. Will we continue to listen to the voice of our Good Shepherd? Will we listen to His leading or try to go our own way? When we go our own way, thinking that we know what is best, we will likely be led astray or into sin. But when we listen to the voice of our Shepherd, we are kept on His path and walking in His purposes. As we listen to God’s commands, we receive the life, joy, and peace that His leading brings. So let us not allow ourselves to wander, resolved to go our own way. Rather, let us listen to the voice of our Good Shepherd, joyfully following His lead as He guides us through this life and into eternity.

Reflect and Respond

How can you listen to Christ’s leading in your life? What does it look like to always follow Him?