PENNED IN

By Rick Mathes

John 10:1 (NASB77) ¹ “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.

The Sheep pen is the Church and the Gate is the Holy Spirit. The Good Shepherd of course is our Lord and we are His sheep. This parable is perfect to show our relationship to our Master.

We follow Him because He knows His sheep and they know Him and respond to His calling. They are very close to each other in person and in spirit. His sheep love and follow Him wherever He goes.

The big difference between sheep and His people is that sheep are herded from behind but He leads those who are His from the lead. It’s a real family in every way.

Our Lord, our Good Shepherd talks to us through His word as if He were talking to His children. We respond with our prayers. How can anyone have a meaningful relationship with another unless they have a continuing conversation and fellowship?

Our hearts beat with His because we owe our lives to Him. We were once lost and following only bad shepherds that crossed our paths. Now, praise the Lord, we have the Good Shepherd that has saved us from the clutches of that roaring lion of destruction from Hell.

There isn’t any counterfeit satisfaction that is an improvement of the real thing. Only Jesus can fill that “God space” in us. Only Jesus and His Word will give us the fullness of His glory, the glory our souls agonize for.

He died for us. Let this sink in and never tire of searching the depths of this truth that He actually took our Hell upon Himself and died so that we might live. His resurrection and glory This alone unites us as one Body and one Soul. We can return to our first nature if only we will follow the Good Shepherd and leave the false shepherd behind in the flames.