Devotion Archive

Week of February 8, 2010

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me . . . My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:14, 27-28

   These words from the book of John are some of my favorite in the Bible.   In our Screenside Chats, we are looking at the beautiful pictures that Jesus shows us in these words, focusing on a different picture each week. 

   I’ve found myself listening to weather reports quite a bit lately.  As we are now on the brink of becoming the snowiest winter in Northern Virginia in recorded history, what the weather is doing becomes a major issue each day.  I need to listen to the weather reports to know if it is a good or bad idea to venture out in my car (or to cancel church activities so other people aren’t put in a dangerous spot).  To fail to listen to weather warnings could be fatal.

   The voice of a shepherd was certainly soothing and familiar to his sheep.  But another major purpose for a shepherd to use his voice was to warn.  If the sheep did not listen to his voice and did not follow him, they could wander right into the teeth of danger (literally, in the form of a wolf) or over the edge of a cliff.

   In the words of our passage, Jesus applies this truth to you and me.  He is our shepherd.  He wants his voice to sooth and comfort us.  But he also uses his voice to warn us and guide us.  We can not ignore it.  We can not follow our own way and be OK.  If we do not listen to and follow the voice of Jesus, we will head into the teeth of the devil and eventually into the fires of hell.

   Wouldn’t it make sense, then, to spend a little time today listening to his voice?  He speaks to you in the Bible.  If you have the time to check the weather today, I guarantee you that you have the time to open your Bible and read a passage or two.  Let Jesus’ voice guide you.  Follow him.  He promises to lead you out of spiritual danger and guide you with his love, no matter what the weather is doing. 

Listening to and lead by my Shepherd, just like you,

Pastor Jon Bergemann

Weekly Devotions are taken from Trinity's“Screenside Chat”, a weekly email devotion and newsletter from Pastor Bergemann designed to give you a spiritual boost from your Savior while keeping you connected to your Trinity family. 

Contact Pastor Jon Bergemann if you are interested in knowing more about Trinity Lutheran Church.

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