Day 63: I Am A Sheep

John 10:7-18

New International Version (NIV)

 ⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
   ¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
   ¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”


Well, it's been a rough week in the Eastep house. A baby with bronchitis (plus taking steroid meds which made him C-R-A-Z-Y), a hubby in serious pain, stress on the job... all made for a tired mommy/wife/employee/person. I don't know many times I've said (usually while rocking Brennan in the dead of night or making yet another pot of chicken soup) that I didn't think I'd make it through the week. And yet... here I am!


I had planned to write a post tonight about relative truth; about the fact that Jesus claimed to be the gate, the way of salvation. I had planned to focus on the way the world has perverted truth to the point that by claiming that one gate, we are labeled closed minded at best, bigots at worst. 


But as I come to the end of a long, hard week, I find myself wanting to focus only on the great love that the Great Shepherd has for me. I want to remember that He came for me, his sheep. Because He loves me. I just want to be led by the still waters of His grace. 


I'm reminded of the beautiful devotional song, I Am A Sheep. Following are the lyrics and even a recording of it. The words are perfect.... He is constantly watching over me.


I am a sheep and the Lord is my shepherd
Watching over my soul.
My soul to keep guarding over me ever,
Watching wherever I go.

And when the winds blow He is my shelter
And when I'm lost and alone He rescues me.
And when the lion comes He is my victory
Constantly watching over me
He is constantly watching over me

We are his children and he is our Father
Watching over our souls.
Great is His love for His sons and His daughters,
Watching wherever we go.