DEVOTION ~ THE SHEPHERD'S LIFE

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Theme: The Shepherd's Life
Text: John 10:11-13 
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 



In the text for consideration, Jesus introduces Himself as the Good Shepherd. This presupposes that there are two categories of shepherds: the good and the bad. What characteristics distinguish the good shepherd from the bad one? We shall look at two distinctive characteristics. 

First, the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. As indicated in the text, when danger looms, the bad shepherd seeks to protect his life instead of the sheep, so, he flees. Jesus was not afraid to offer His life for us on the cross at Calvary to pay for our debts of sin. He willingly gave His life so that we may have life. However, the opposite is what the devil and his agents do in our lives.

Second, the good shepherd owns the sheep. It is clear why the bad shepherd flees in moments of danger; he does not own the sheep. Because the hireling has it in mind that he must survive to get another job or the intention that he can easily be replaced by the owner of the sheep, he flees, and the wolf catches and scatters the sheep. Jesus, on the other hand, is the true owner of the sheep. He values us as His beloved sheep, so He will go to any length to ensure that we are saved. Dear beloved in the Lord, abide in the Lord's sheepfold and you shall be shepherded by Jesus in all things and crowned with divine security throughout the year.



Let us Pray: Almighty God, thank You for being my Good Shepherd in marriage, nurturing of my children, family, health, ministry, finances, career, business, and all spheres of my life. I pray visit all areas of my life and where I fail to surrender to Your shepherding grace, please, take control and extinct the operations of the bad shepherd. This i ask in the Name of Jesus Christ. AMEN!      

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