John…on Love
John narrates God’s story with a passionate heart who truly loves God with all his heart, mind and soul. He shows us Who Love is and what Love does in action. We will mature in our love for Christ by taking one phrase at a time, drinking in this living Water, with our Bread of Life in our own intimate, growing relationship with Jesus, too.
Meditate on the following passage all day long and be blessed by this unconditional love of our Savior…
John 10, The Message
11-13 “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him.
14-18 “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They’ll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father.”
As the Father loves the Son, the Son loves you and me, unconditionally. We are His sheep. He will not always approve of what we do, BUT God will always approve of who we are, the sheep of His domain. He will guide us to safety, to food, water and rest. We are known, by name, by Him who laid down His glory, His life to save us. Breathe this in, for this is Life abundant, and breathe out what the world says.
What kind of love is this? Perfect Love. Undeserved, but perfect.
Dear Heavenly Father, Your love is amazing and hard to wrap our minds around, but our hearts and souls praise You for it in extreme gratitude today for what we do understand! Our bodies are eased, with less intensifying stress, and feel lighter, just knowing how much we are loved and cared for. This sheep is grateful for her Shepherd. Continue to be with us, calling out for us, for this sheep is listening. In Jesus Name, Amen. I believe.
And I’m singing….(old hymn)
Ev’ry day He comes to me with new assurance,
More and more I understand His words of love;
But I’ll never know just why He came to save me,
Till some day I see His blessed face above.
No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There’s no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.
