“I assure you: Anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the door but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t recognize the voice of strangers.”     John 10:1-5 HCSB

Jesus often uses analogies describing his followers as sheep. This is because sheep are not that bright and they need protecting. That sums us up pretty well, doesn’t it? Left on their own they will get themselves into trouble, they need someone to guide them and watch out for them.

In our Scripture passage today, Jesus uses the analogy of shepherding to explain what it’s like to follow Him. He begins by telling them that there is only one way into the sheep pen and that is the door. We know that Jesus is the only way to Salvation (John 14:6). We know we can have eternal life by trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and being in close relationship with Him.

Jesus warns of thieves and robbers, we are told in John 10:10 that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus comes in through the door. There is no great mystery, there is no secret passage, he just comes through the door. The devil prowls around seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). He is sneaky and will look for a way in. He can obtain entry through any little crack we leave open. This is why it is so important that we are vigilant. We must try our best to avoid sin because even the tiniest little sin creates a crack. This is just enough for the devil to force his way in and before you know it, he has taken over.

Jesus says that the shepherd knows his sheep by name. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 20:12). We become Jesus’ sheep. We follow Him.

Jesus goes on to say that the shepherd goes ahead of his sheep and leads them. My friend, we have only two choices, we follow Jesus or we follow the devil. When we are saved, we follow Jesus. We hear His voice and we follow Him. God never meant for us to be in fellowship with the devil. We were not made for an eternity in hell. If we associate with the devil and end up there it is of our own choosing.

We follow Jesus because we recognize His voice. This does not mean that we hear Jesus audibly. This means that we spend time each day in God’s Word. We call it God’s Word because this is how He speaks to us. Our prayer and Bible study are our means of communication. Are you keeping an open line of communication by daily prayer and Bible study? If you are only taking time out of your day to say a quick prayer here and there, it’s a very one sided conversation. You are doing all the talking. But, when we spend time each day in God’s Word, the conversation flows.

Last but not least, Jesus tells them that the sheep will never follow a stranger, they will run away from him. No one is stranger than the devil. He thrives on evil. He loves to see people hurting. He lies and tries to convince us that his way is okay in God’s eyes. Don’t believe him, never trust him. Run away from him and into the loving arms of your Lord and Savior. The only thing that can keep us safe from Satan’s evil schemes is Jesus Christ. He goes before us and keeps us safe.

God did not create us to be misused and abused by the devil. He made us to be in close fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. He meant for us all to be spending eternity with Him in heaven. Take a good, hard look at your life. Are you living in fellowship with Jesus Christ? Is it obvious to those around you?

Think about this Scripture passage. Are you hearing our Savior’s voice and following Him? Or, have you wandered away to follow a stranger? If this is the case, He wants nothing more than to come and find you and bring you back to the flock. He will fight for you. Turn to Him today before it’s too late.

It’s much easier to walk with Him and follow Him and live under His guidance and protection. The world is a scary place, stay close to your shepherd.

Have a great day!