Sheep pt 1: He goes in, before he leads out.
I’m both challenged and inspired by the thought that ‘… His sheep follow him because they know His voice’ (Jn 10:4). Challenged by the question – how well do I know His voice? And inspired by the thought – He will lead me.
I was reading through this illustration (Jn 10:1-21) that Jesus used the other day and I was struck by something I hadn’t really noticed before.
V3 says, “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” In the illustration JC is talking about sheep that are in the pen, about how the thief will come in over the wall, but the shepherd will come directly through the gate.
I had always noticed the part about JC going on ahead and that the sheep would follow happily behind as they listen to his voice, but I hadn’t noticed the part where he goes in, before he goes on ahead. He goes into the pen in which the sheep are confined in, in order to lead them out to the wide open space of where the tasty grass is.
In our lives, he comes in, before he leads us out.
He comes into our lives that are held in the restrictive confines we find ourselves in, to lead us out into the wide open spaces of possibility and freedom. Before he is able to lead us out into those places, he needs to come into our lives, but not only that – he’s purposeful about doing it. About looking for a way – not over the wall or with deception like the thief – but in clearly through a gate within our lives. Not so he won’t be noticed, but so that He will be noticed. He wants us to know that He’s coming in –to lead us out into the free and open places that He desires for us.
What areas in your life is looking to come into today?
Which areas does He want to lead you out into – if you would hear His voice?
In this season of fasting, it’s a great reminder to tune into his voice to help lead us, but also listen out for the areas He’s wanting to put His index finger on, to come into, so that He may lead us out.
Wow, thats a really clever way of tihnknig about it!