Journey through John 10:4-6

Good Morning Church Family – Journey Through John

Read John 10:4-6
 
Devo Thought: Last time, I mentioned our dog, Maggie. I wanted to include her again today. Remember quickly that I mentioned that she’s the best dog I’ve ever had. I will say that she is definitely not a guard dog. A few years back, Julie and I were selling our house, and our realtor would regularly bring people by to see the house. Maggie would be in the backyard, minding her own business, and suddenly, there would be people walking out of the back door of the house to see the backyard. Instead of running up to happily greet them or barking and growling to tell them to get out of here, she would hightail it out of there. She would run around the corner as quickly as she could. She heard a voice she didn’t recognize, and she immediately thought there was danger. If Maggie could teach the kids one lesson, it was the stranger danger lesson. She didn’t trust strangers, and she wasn’t about to let them take her or lead her astray. Maggie is a good teacher for today’s lesson from Jesus. Just as Jesus’ sheep hear his voice and respond to him, they also recognize when someone else speaks. They recognize the voices of strangers and know there is danger. I want to ask you to consider whether you listen to people who aren’t Jesus with a discerning voice. Are we careful who we let influence us? This is important when we consider the voices we hear from society, from politics, from the church. If you aren’t sure, if something sounds off, trust that instinct that tells you danger is near. Compare what is said to the voice of Jesus. If it lines up with what he has said, then great! But, if something (no matter how good it sounds, no matter how much you might like it) sounds off, run away. Follow the voice of Jesus and not the voice of strangers.
 
Let us ask God to help us to be a discerning people.