John 10:10 Context
The first half of John 10 portrays Jesus as a Good Shepherd and his people as his sheep. In the second half of John 10, Jesus declares himself to be the Son of God, saying, “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 will snatch them out of my hand”. This devotion focuses on the characterization of Jesus as our Shepherd and Savior.
John 10:10 Meaning
In biblical times, shepherds led their flocks to protected areas at night to rest.
These areas were bordered by rocks or bushes, and shepherds slept at the entrance to guard the sheep against thieves and wild animals.
Like shepherds guarding their flocks, Jesus defends and protects us from harm.
Thieves come “only to steal and kill and destroy,” but Jesus came to give us life and to give it abundantly. Abundance means extremely plentiful or overflowing fullness.
The devil desires our destruction, but Jesus desires us to have abundant life. That includes a life free from anxiety and worry.
If we spend our days fretting over what could go wrong, we allow a liar and a thief to steal, kill, and destroy the abundant life that Jesus died to give us.
However, with our Good Shepherd shielding us, we can take back abundant life. We are Jesus’ sheep, and we can rest knowing that he’ll defend and protect us against all harm. Let that knowledge restore your joy, security, and peace.
John 10:10 Application
You can move forward without worry, fear, anxiety, or obsessive thoughts about tomorrow.
Jesus doesn’t want you to barely survive or have destructive thoughts; he wants your life to be rich with peace, strength, freedom, courage, delight, and love.
The next time you feel the thief clawing away your peace, remember you are held in the care of your Good Shepherd. He is watching over you to protect you from predators, including your own thoughts.
You are a precious sheep in Jesus’ flock. He won’t let you stray far from the protected area, and he will defend and shield you from harm. Ask the Lord to help you reclaim abundant life.
Rebuke that thief in the name of Jesus and claim aloud that he has no power in your life. Memorize peaceful Scripture and recite it when tough moments come. Take every anxious thought captive and surrender it to Jesus.
“Look at the birds. They don’t plant harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?”