Corona Devo 3116
In the backyard of my childhood home where I grew up is a deep ravine. I could not know all of the wildlife that lives within the trees, ground, waters, and expanse of that backyard gully and creek, but over the years, (and explorations), we have seen deer, squirrels, raccoons and even foxes. And once-in-a-while a coyote's howl can be heard.
On a recent hike down into the ravine, my niece and nephew found an old football in the woods, and they brought it up into the yard to play. And play they did. Their new-found toy found a home and many passes that afternoon. They had a new toy.
Except...it wasn't theirs.
Early the next morning, a coyote came trotting up out of the ravine, and he seemed to know exactly where he was headed...to the football that lay in the yard.
His football, apparently.
The coyote approached the football, picked it up in his mouth, turned-tail, and proceeded to trot back over the hill and into the ravine. My sister let out a few yells and whoops, in the hopes that he might drop the football for her kids to continue playing with later, but the coyote never paused or even seemed to notice.
It was clearly his football, and nothing was going to snatch it out of his mouth.
~~~
Can we picture this scene?
It amazed my dad and sister as they sipped early morning coffee on the back porch and had a front row seat to the (wildlife) show.
The children had (unknowingly) removed it from the coyote's area in the woods, and the coyote had come back to get it.
And no one was going to snatch it away from him.
Good. This is exactly how our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ feels about us.
Except Jesus explains it in the Bible (John Chapter 10) by saying that He is the good shepherd and we are His sheep.
The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. (3) The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
(4) When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
(5) But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” (6) Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
(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.
(27) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.(28) I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.(29) My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. (30) I and the Father are one.” ~John 10:2-6, 14-16, 27-30
Jesus is our shepherd, and we are His sheep.
No one. No one.
Whatever lie is trying to take root in our mind or heart about us not being worthy-enough, or good-enough, or pure-enough, or Godly-enough, or Scripture-savvy enough, or young-enough, or old-enough, or anything-enough...
Don't let lies snatch us from God's hand. They can't, and the Bible says so.
Listen to Jesus's voice. He knows us. Let's follow Him today, and not the lies.
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.(28) I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.(29) My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” ~John 10:27-29
Nothing...NOTHING can separate us from the love of God, or snatch us from the hand of God.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
...(37) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (38) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, (39) neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~Romans 8:35, 37-39
Jesus trotted up from the ravine of death to retrieve us to Himself for Eternity.
Well, actually, He descended from Heaven to be born in a manger, to live as a (perfect) man, and to die for our sins. And then He went back to Heaven, holding us in His heart. Tightly.
We are clearly His children, and nothing will snatch us out of his hand.
Listen to his voice today. He calls us by name and leads us out. Jesus goes on ahead of us John 10:3-4). We can follow him today because we know his voice (John 10:4, 27).
Jesus is our good shepherd. He knows us and we know Him (John 10:14).
We can listen to His voice today. He knows us and we can trust Him and follow Him today (John 10:27).
Got this picture in our minds and hearts?
Beloved, no one and nothing can snatch (us) out of His hand. Jesus Christ holds us: tightly.
Blessings,
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