But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10:2-3 ESV As we approached, the little flock of sheep crossed the small gravel road and huddled together with […]
He Knows My Name!
I am reposting this from my nursing home blog as it seems to be something important to remember in the middle of the chaos. Jesus is calling our name and He knows right where we are.
Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16 ESV
I was born left-handed, and I still painfully remember the upside down feeling of learning to write. At Hamilton Elementary, all children were taught penmanship right-handed. But I held my paper entirely upside down, gripped the pen the wrong way and on my report card every quarter appeared the inevitable F.
What I could never shake was the feeling of being upside down. That is the same feeling that Jesus is preparing us for with this verse. He tells us we are going out like sheep among wolves. Now if we stop to think about it we would all agree that there is no competition in a fight between sheep and wolves. The wolves have bigger teeth, are stronger and can run circles around sheep. Nevertheless Jesus confidently sends us out because we have one thing the wolf doesn’t have. We have the shepherd! 
When we get into a wolf-fight, our first tendency is to sign up for the “How to fight like a Wolf” seminar. We think if we could just try a little harder, change our tactics or develop a quicker response, we might come out on top. But that wasn’t the Lord’s idea at all. What Jesus wanted was for us to live life walking close behind Him. Being strong enough to protect ourselves can never compare to having the protection of the Lord. We are no match for wolves, but they will run away from us when they come face to face with our Shepherd. Then He makes us lie down in green pastures and turns our world right side up!
The waiting room is noisy and crowded. People are trying different ways to not look stressed. Some are reading, some texting a friend while others simply sit quietly. But if we were honest all of us are straining to hear only one thing and that is for our own name to be called.
But we will never be called unless the doctor is expecting us. We will never be expected unless we have scheduled an appointment. And they will never schedule that appointment until the terms of payment are accepted.
Have I made that appointment with God? Does He have my name written down in his book? My great assurance is that He has found me – His lost sheep and brought me and all the other wanderers home to Himself. When the bill for our rescue came due He stamped across the invoice – paid in full! Because the Good Shepherd has laid down His life for His sheep any moment now He will be calling your name!
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