Daily Scripture Reading:
John 10:3-4 – “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.”
Luke 15:4-5 – “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices.”
The sheep didn’t set out to get lost that day. He was happy being with his sheep friends and family. The grass tasted good. The Shepherd was taking good care of him.
But as he ate that day, out of the corner of his eye, just over the hill, he saw some grass that looked just a little greener. Why not try it? What could it hurt? So he moved a little away from the herd and had just a little taste. But as he ate, he noticed just a little further over the hill, the grass looked even better. He thought “well, if I’ve gone this far, I might as well try the other grass too.” And soon, the sheep was lost. Far away from the Shepherd. He didn’t intend for this to happen. It just happened.
It happens to us the same way . . . just a little discrepancy in our accounting for our taxes, the ‘just one try’ of the substance, the innocent flirtation . . . and so it goes. We are lost. Far away from the Shepherd.
How do we NOT get lost? By keeping our eyes on the Shepherd, following the Shepherd in all things, listening for the Shepherd’s voice, remaining in the Shepherd’s herd. . .
Prayer: Gracious God, keep me close to You this day. Give me strength to hear Your voice in all things. Draw me back to You when I start to wander. Thank You, Lord, for always welcoming me home to Your loving arms. In Christ’s name, Amen.
Reflection Question and/or Application for the Day:
Spend some time in prayer. Ask God to show you any places in your life that you have wandered away from the Good Shepherd.
Are there any places in your life that are tempting you to wander astray?
What do you need to do today to come back to the Shepherd?
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Devotion from Building Margin for a Balanced Life, devotional book, small group study and sermon series
©Tim Reaves and Trish Archer
All rights reserved
Photo by Will Archer
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