By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo
John 10:3-5 “The watchman 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. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” – NIV
Jesus the good Shepherd demonstrates the love, care and intimacy with us by speaking and calling us His own by name. Then He leads the sheep out to the pastures and in safety by going ahead. Such is the assurance to the sheep that all is well. In keenly recognizing and faithfully following the guiding voice of their Shepherd can the sheep be certain of peace and safety. The frantic voice of the stranger seeks to divert, mislead into danger, however sweet it sounds. Run away from it.
Calling us by name means He knows and cares for us individually. You are not just part of the crowd or part of the statistics in the world. To God, you are very important and valuable that you deserve His full attention. Jesus’ parable of the one lost sheep out of a hundred demonstrates this – one is too precious to be lost! (Luke 15:3-7). He looked for one! Jesus heard the voice of a blind beggar, Bartimeus, and stopped to attend to him among the multitudes (Mark 10:46-52). He hears you!
Some people feel God doesn’t know or even care about them amidst multitudes. Just because your church or group is too large and doesn’t give you attention, doesn’t mean God treats you similarly. Such people feel so lonely, rejected and worthless. They become susceptible to manipulators. Men may fail, but not God. He knows you by name, including every detail of your life and what you are going through, and attends to you personally. He truly cares!
Isaiah 49:15-16 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”
Shalom children of God.