Welcome to Week 13 of A 2020 Prayer Life!
What follows is a series of daily meditations and exercises to help us develop our individual prayer lives. This represents a one-day-at-a-time process. Simply read and do each day what is offered for that day.
What follows is a series of daily meditations and exercises to help us develop our individual prayer lives. This represents a one-day-at-a-time process. Simply read and do each day what is offered for that day.
March 25
As we conclude our several-week consideration of the Lord as our Shepherd, we want to turn to one more crucial passage of Scripture. In John 10, Jesus identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd. And in the larger teaching surrounding that statement, He offers still more layers of insight and meaning into that title and that relationship to us.
Jesus employs the image of a shepherd arriving at the pen where the sheep are kept, and then says, "The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." (John 10:3 NASB)
On the one hand, the sheep are clearly a group -- a flock -- that follows and responds together. On the other hand, they clearly have individual connections to the shepherd, and he knows each one by name.
Talk to your Good Shepherd about this image.
Lord, what does it mean for me to be part of a flock? What does it look like for us to follow You together?
Lord, in this world, Yours is not the only voice that calls to us. Help me to hear Yours. How do I recognize Yours among all the others?
Finally, thank the Lord for the very personal quality of His care, as implied by the truth that "he calls his own sheep by name."
Jesus employs the image of a shepherd arriving at the pen where the sheep are kept, and then says, "The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." (John 10:3 NASB)
On the one hand, the sheep are clearly a group -- a flock -- that follows and responds together. On the other hand, they clearly have individual connections to the shepherd, and he knows each one by name.
Talk to your Good Shepherd about this image.
Lord, what does it mean for me to be part of a flock? What does it look like for us to follow You together?
Lord, in this world, Yours is not the only voice that calls to us. Help me to hear Yours. How do I recognize Yours among all the others?
Finally, thank the Lord for the very personal quality of His care, as implied by the truth that "he calls his own sheep by name."
March 26
As Jesus describes the relationship between the shepherd and his flock, He says, that the shepherd "goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." (John 10:4-5 NASB)
In your time of prayer just now, talk to your Good Shepherd about His teaching.
Lord, what is the significance of "he goes ahead of them" -- as opposed to walking beside them or following behind them?
Talk to Him about your experience of Him going ahead of you.
Thank Him for the ways and times that He has gone ahead of you.
Affirm your faith that He goes ahead of you even now.
In your time of prayer just now, talk to your Good Shepherd about His teaching.
Lord, what is the significance of "he goes ahead of them" -- as opposed to walking beside them or following behind them?
Talk to Him about your experience of Him going ahead of you.
Thank Him for the ways and times that He has gone ahead of you.
Affirm your faith that He goes ahead of you even now.
March 27
Today we consider again this expression of the relationship between the shepherd and his sheep:
"He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." (John 10:4-5 NASB)
Modern church folks sometimes balk at the image of shepherd and sheep because the identification as a sheep does not seem very complimentary to us. And yet, in the context of this particular teaching, it may be that the average sheep is actually wiser than the average Christian. For if a sheep truly does distinguish between the shepherd and the stranger, and if the sheep truly does follow the shepherd and flee from the stranger, then the sheep does better than most of us.
Talk to your Good Shepherd about this part of His teaching.
Lord, have I followed some "stranger" thinking that it was You? Have I followed even when I knew it was not?
Lord, when have I -- when do I -- not flee from the stranger, but follow him instead?
"He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." (John 10:4-5 NASB)
Modern church folks sometimes balk at the image of shepherd and sheep because the identification as a sheep does not seem very complimentary to us. And yet, in the context of this particular teaching, it may be that the average sheep is actually wiser than the average Christian. For if a sheep truly does distinguish between the shepherd and the stranger, and if the sheep truly does follow the shepherd and flee from the stranger, then the sheep does better than most of us.
Talk to your Good Shepherd about this part of His teaching.
Lord, have I followed some "stranger" thinking that it was You? Have I followed even when I knew it was not?
Lord, when have I -- when do I -- not flee from the stranger, but follow him instead?
March 28
Jesus contrasts Himself as the Good Shepherd with the thief that may also come to get the sheep:
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10 NASB)
Talk to your Good Shepherd about "the thief." What things in this world have the effect of coming to steal, kill, and destroy? In what ways have you been the victim of those? In what ways have you cooperated with "the thief"?
Talk to your Good Shepherd about the difference between Him and "the thief."
Meditate individually on each of these phrases from His teaching, talking with Him about the meaning, the beauty, and the implications of each:
"I came..."
"...that they may have life..."
"...and have it abundantly."
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10 NASB)
Talk to your Good Shepherd about "the thief." What things in this world have the effect of coming to steal, kill, and destroy? In what ways have you been the victim of those? In what ways have you cooperated with "the thief"?
Talk to your Good Shepherd about the difference between Him and "the thief."
Meditate individually on each of these phrases from His teaching, talking with Him about the meaning, the beauty, and the implications of each:
"I came..."
"...that they may have life..."
"...and have it abundantly."
March 29
In verse 11 of this teaching, Jesus introduces an entirely new notion to the image of the Good Shepherd.
"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep." (John 10:11-13 NASB)
Clearly, the sheep are a vulnerable lot. They are not well-equipped to defend themselves from that which would harm them. And they can be victim not only of that which would harm them but also that which does not adequately protect them. And, while the image of a good shepherd protecting his sheep is familiar from earlier passages of Scripture, this is the first introduction of the notion that saving the sheep's life will cost the shepherd his life.
Talk to your Good Shepherd about His teaching.
Talk to Him about:
Talk to Him about the astonishing image of a shepherd laying down his own life for the sake of the sheep.
"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep." (John 10:11-13 NASB)
Clearly, the sheep are a vulnerable lot. They are not well-equipped to defend themselves from that which would harm them. And they can be victim not only of that which would harm them but also that which does not adequately protect them. And, while the image of a good shepherd protecting his sheep is familiar from earlier passages of Scripture, this is the first introduction of the notion that saving the sheep's life will cost the shepherd his life.
Talk to your Good Shepherd about His teaching.
Talk to Him about:
- your vulnerability
- the things that seek to harm you
- the things that inadequately protect you.
Talk to Him about the astonishing image of a shepherd laying down his own life for the sake of the sheep.
March 30
We continue today to consider Jesus' remarkable teaching about the Good Shepherd laying down His life for the sheep.
"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep... No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:11, 18 NASB)
"Self-sacrifice" should not be confused with "victim." The person who chooses to lay down his life is different, you see, from the person whose life is taken from him involuntarily.
Talk to your Good Shepherd about His choice to lay down His life. Affirm what that reveals about Him. Express what it implies about you and your relationship with Him.
Meanwhile, in the case of our Good Shepherd, "sacrifice" should not be confused with "defeat." For the One who chooses to lay down His life also has "authority to take it up again." And so, in the imagery of this brief teaching, Jesus captures both the beauty of Good Friday and the power of Easter Sunday.
Talk to your Good Shepherd about His authority to take up His life again. Affirm what that reveals about Him. Express what it implies about you and your relationship with Him.
"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep... No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:11, 18 NASB)
"Self-sacrifice" should not be confused with "victim." The person who chooses to lay down his life is different, you see, from the person whose life is taken from him involuntarily.
Talk to your Good Shepherd about His choice to lay down His life. Affirm what that reveals about Him. Express what it implies about you and your relationship with Him.
Meanwhile, in the case of our Good Shepherd, "sacrifice" should not be confused with "defeat." For the One who chooses to lay down His life also has "authority to take it up again." And so, in the imagery of this brief teaching, Jesus captures both the beauty of Good Friday and the power of Easter Sunday.
Talk to your Good Shepherd about His authority to take up His life again. Affirm what that reveals about Him. Express what it implies about you and your relationship with Him.
March 31
As we conclude Week 13, we turn again to a verse from Henry Baker's lovely poem about the Good Shepherd. Specifically, we recall his final verse:
"And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house for ever."
Over the course of several weeks, we have meditated carefully on the truth of the Lord being our Good Shepherd. Reflect patiently on what you have discovered about the Lord in Psalm 23. Remember what you learned about Him in Luke 15. Keep before your eyes what has been revealed to you about Him in John 10.
Now, in a time of prayer and praise, declare His goodness. Affirm that it fails never. Express that His goodness encompasses all "the length of days." Sing His praise.
"And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house for ever."
Over the course of several weeks, we have meditated carefully on the truth of the Lord being our Good Shepherd. Reflect patiently on what you have discovered about the Lord in Psalm 23. Remember what you learned about Him in Luke 15. Keep before your eyes what has been revealed to you about Him in John 10.
Now, in a time of prayer and praise, declare His goodness. Affirm that it fails never. Express that His goodness encompasses all "the length of days." Sing His praise.