Head: Know God's Word | Heart: Love God | Hands: Follow God's Way
Read John 10
HEAD
Do you have any pets? If you do, you know there are things you must do to take care of them. Pets need fresh food and water, a safe place to stay, and somewhere clean and safe to go to the bathroom. They also need to be played with often and treated kindly. I’m sure it’s the same way for your pet, but my dog, Captain, knows who I am! He knows my voice, and he knows I love him and will take care of him and protect him. Do you know that makes me kind of like a shepherd? A shepherd is a person responsible for sheep, just like I’m responsible for my dog. I don’t know many people who have a flock of sheep these days, but back when the Bible was written, almost every family had sheep. So that means they also had to have a shepherd. The shepherd would guide the sheep to places where they could find grass to eat, water to drink, and a safe place to rest. Just like Captain with me, sheep learn who their shepherd is, and they learn to follow him. Sheep recognize their shepherd’s voice, and they learn to trust him as he leads them. When animals come to attack the sheep, the shepherd must protect his flock at all costs.
In John 10, Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd. Jesus compares us to sheep and Himself to our shepherd. By saying that, He’s telling us that He will take care of us and provide for all our needs. He will protect us from harm, even to the point of laying down His life to make sure we are safe.
HEART
That’s powerful! For Jesus to be our shepherd, we must know Him. Not just know who He is, but really know Him. And with knowing Him comes trusting Him. We trust that He has our best interests in mind. He knows who we are individually and provides all the things we need to be kept well and safe. But that also means we must listen to Him and follow Him where He leads us. Even when we can’t see where we are going, by knowing our Good Shepherd, we know we aren’t being led in the wrong direction. Sometimes life gets noisy with other people’s opinions, worries, and distractions. But the more time we spend with Jesus—reading the Bible, praying, and surrounding ourselves with other believers—the easier it becomes to recognize His voice above all the others.
HANDS
Each time you make a decision today, ask yourself, “Am I following the voice of my shepherd, Jesus?” As a family, try to encourage one another to make choices that reflect His love, kindness, and truth.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being our Good Shepherd. Thank You for loving us, protecting us, and guiding us. Help us learn to recognize Your voice and follow You every day. We love You! Amen.