He holds me!
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they
follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish;
and no one will snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given
them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out
of the Father's hand.
John 10:27-29
This Jesus says about His sheep, that is,
those who have taken their refuge to Him, or as He expresses it in this
coherence: «Those who hear My voice!»
But what is it exactly to hear His voice? - Am I among those who
hear or am I only deceiving myself, by my faith?
It is written about Jesus effect on His surroundings, among other
things: «Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him
to listen to Him.»
(Luke 15:1).
So it was not first of all His looks or behaviour, signs and
wonders, that draw them to Him, but His voice, and then not the
sound of it, but what He preached, and they heard!
It was in other words the message they heard, that caused
that they draw near to Him.
And this is also your situation? - It is what you have heard of and
about Jesus, that also gives you boldness to come to Him, despite all
misery and sin you recognise with yourself?
This is His sheep! - And listen to what He says about them - about
you!: «And I give eternal life to them, and they will never
perish!»
Think - what a gift and assurance to get! First the assurance about
the gift itself, the eternal life, and then the assurance that it can
never ever be taken away from you again! Because - as He adds - the one
who has come to Him because of the Word they have heard, they have also
come to the Father, - yes, «their life is hidden with Christ in God.» (Col. 3:3). And no one takes anything from Him!
The only danger now left, is that you yourself choose to go away,
that you let yourself be tempted by something else, like Paul complains
of his friend: «Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me
and gone to Thessalonica.» (2 Tim. 4:10).
Let us pray to God about this danger today. - He is also powerful
enough to keep us from it!
E.K.
Holy Bible New American Standard
Version
Translator: E.K. |
