July 10, 2018

Are You Following Jesus?

“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”

– John 10:3-4

Several years ago my Dad planted rye grass in the pecan orchard. He would allow the cows access only an hour or so a day. This was to keep them from getting sick by eating too much of a good thing.

One day we came home and found the cows in the front pasture. He wanted to bring them around to the rye grass field. He talked about using feed to entice them around. He wondered aloud if he could somehow drive them to the correct area.

I was astounded at the obstacles he thought he needed to overcome. I shook my head and told him to go open the gate and I would get the cows around. He didn’t believe me but headed toward the gate anyway.

I went to the front gate and started calling the cows. I called them by name. I called them babies. I did what any pet parent does: I talked in a sweet voice. First one and then another raised their heads. I patiently called them again to come on. In a few minutes the entire herd was coming at a brisk pace.

I turned to find my Dad standing there with his mouth open, totally amazed that I hadn’t even needed to go into the pasture to bring the cows around to the correct area. Why did they come when I called them? Because they knew my voice. They knew that I was calling them to something good. They trusted that there was something wonderful at the end of their journey.

Jesus calls us in much the same way. We can ignore Him. We can do our own thing and miss the blessings He offers. Or we can choose to follow His call and end our days with more than we could ever imagine.

Don’t let the world distract you. Don’t listen to voices who claim to know the way and yet only offer worldly things as a reward. You’re not here to stay. You’re just a traveler headed home. Don’t let anyone focus your attention elsewhere.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

– John 10:27

Do you hear His voice? Are you following Jesus or the world? Don’t be so quick to answer. Think about it.

Every single day we make choice after choice after choice. All those choices come with consequences. Are those choices drawing you nearer to Jesus or are they drawing you nearer to the world?

If you know Jesus, follow Him. He will always lead you to something better than you could ever imagine.

And if you don’t know Jesus, take a moment to think about all the wonderful blessings you are missing. He’s standing at the gate to let you in. You only have to believe and trust that He truly will lead you home.