2: but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3: To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4: When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5: A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."
ARE WE LIKE THE GOOD SHEEP WHO HEED ONLY THE VOICE OF OUR SHEPARD, JESUS OR DO WE GO AFTER STRANGE AND FRIVOLOUS WORLDLY IDOLS? VERY OFTEN WE DO NOT FOLLOW THE LORD OUR SAVIOUR BUT INSTEAD ARE MORE FASCINATED BY WORLDLY GLORY. WE ARE LIKE SHEEP WHO HAVE GONE ASTRAY, WHO FOLLOW ANYONE THAT COMES ALONG AND SEDUCES THEM . WE NO LONGER FOLLOW OUR LORD THE GOOD SHEPARD.
BUT YOU SEE, NO MATTER HOW GREAT AND FASCINATING WORLDLY PRAISE MAY SEEM IN THE END IT IS ALL VANITY. FOR SOONER OR LATER WE COME TO REALISE THAT ALL THE POWER AND GLORY OF THE WORLD WILL NOT SAVE US FROM DEATH OR BRING US ETERNAL SALVATION IN HEAVEN.
WE ARE GIVEN A FREE WILL. JESUS IS NOT A SHEPARD WHO KEEPS US LOCKED UP STARVING IN THE PENN. HE LEADS FREELY AND NOURISHES US WITH HIS LOVE. WE ARE FREE TO GO ABOUT AND ENJOY ALL THAT THE LORD HAS TO OFFER US. BUT OFTEN WE REJECT JESUS, OUR SHEPARD AND GO ASTRAY. YET, EVEN IF WE GO ASTRAY HE KEEPS GENTLY CALLING US BACK TO HIM. HIS ARMS ARE WIDE OPEN TO RECIEVE US. AND HIS HEART IS FILLED WITH LOVE AND COMPASSION AS HE LONGS FOR US TO RETURN TO HIM.
IN FACT JESUS IS CONSTANTLY CALLING AFTER US AND BY EVERY MEANS TRIES TO GET US BACK INTO HIS LOVING ARMS. LIKE A SHEPARD WHO, HAVING NINETY- NINE SHEEP, BUT UPON LOSING ONE OF THEM LEAVES THE OTHER NINETY-NINE AND GOES IN SEARCH OF THE ONE LOST SHEEP, SO DOES JESUS GO AFTER EACH ONE OF US AND CALLS US TO COME INTO HIS LOVING ARMS. HE LOVES US SO MUCH THAT HE CANNOT BEAR TO LOSE EVEN ONE OF US. ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS TO REPENT AND RETURN TO HIM AND HE WILL WELCOME US. JESUS WILL NOT POINT OUT TO US THE FACT THAT WE HAVE FAILED HIM. HE WILL NOT TELL US THAT IT IS TOO LATE AND THAT WE ARE NO LONGER DESERVING OF HIS MERCY. HE WILL NEVER FORSAKE US AS LONG AS WE LIVE. THEREFORE IT IS UP TO US NOW TO RETURN TO HIM.
WE OFTEN HAVE GONE ASTRAY. IN TODAY'S WORLD THERE ARE THOUSAND OF DIFFERENT FALSE GODS TRYING TO ATTRACT US. THERE IS MONEY, POWER, SEX, DRUGS AND ALL SORTS OF EVIL FORCES THAT TRY TO LEAD US ASTRAY. THESE ARE LIKE THE WOLVES WHO TRY TO ENTICE US TO LEAVE THE FLOCK AND FOLLOW THEM SO THAT THEY CAN LATER DEVOUR US. THE FORCES OF THE DEVIL ARE STRONG. HE WILL DO EVERYTHING HE CAN TO LEAD US AWAY FROM THE GOOD SHEPARD. BUT WE MUST NOT FOLLOW THE DEVIL. WE MUST FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST. ONLY HE IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST. THIS VERY DAY IS A NEW CHANCE FOR US TO RETURN TO JESUS. FOR HIS ARMS ARE WIDE OPEN AND HE WILL EVER-READILY ACCEPT US. AND ONCE WE ARE IN HIS ARMS HE WILL NEVER ABANDON US BUT WILL REJOICE AND ALL OF HEAVEN WITH HIM. FOR THERE IS MORE REJOICING IN HEAVEN WHEN ONE SINNER REPENTS THAN FOR A HUNDRED RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE.