Words from the Rock
I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall . . . rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.
John 10:1–5 NLT
When Jesus told this parable, people were confused but interested. He’d definitely hooked them with a story that was suspenseful and intriguing. But what did it mean? Who were the thieves and robbers? And why were they sneaking over the wall and stealing the sheep? Really, it made no sense to the listeners. Yet Jesus had gotten their attention, and for a short while he just left them hanging there, wondering.
A lot of spiritual things come at us like that. Something hits us from out of the blue—usually in the form of an everyday incident. It could be something good like an unexpected award. Or it could be something tragic like the sudden death of a loved one. Something occurs that reaches into our lives, grabs us, and shakes us. It gets our attention, but we’re not quite sure what it means. Often we don’t know how to react. We don’t realize that God wants to get our attention so he can show us something. Maybe we too are just left hanging there, wondering.
In this parable, which Jesus explains more fully in the next section of Scripture (which is in the next devotional), it’s not hard to guess that Jesus is the shepherd, especially since he’s used that metaphor before. But it’s still not clear who the thieves and robbers are, or who the gatekeeper is. Mostly Jesus wants us to know that when we feel confused or even blindsided, we need to remember that he has the help and answers we need. When we understand who he is, we learn to rely on him. We look to him for direction and comfort, and we trust him to lead us to safety.
My Prayer
Dear God,
I know that sometimes it takes something difficult to get my attention. Help me focus on you and trust you to get me where I need to go.
Amen.
Final Word
I pray to you, LORD! You are my place of safety, and you are my choice in the land of the living. Please answer my prayer. I am completely helpless.
Psalm 142:5 CEV
Stone for the Journey
God needs to get my attention so he can lead me.