Daily Devotions
Today’s Reading: John 10:22-42 & Psalm 95
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:28
The Good Shepherd promises, “I give [my sheep] eternal life, and they shall never perish.” The very thing none of us had or could ever have attained on our own, Christ has given to us—eternal life. And He says, “I, the Lord God Almighty, give eternal life to you!” Notice He says I give. Present tense. Now. Yes, even on this side of eternity, we have eternal life!
I recall a story of a poor man, living in the United States, who received word that a distant relative in England had died and left him $5 million. Dressed in a shabby suit and carrying a suitcase held together with string, the man traveled to England to claim his inheritance. The ticket agent, the flight attendant, and the other passengers all saw a poor man … but in reality, he was a multimillionaire. And so it is with us, beloved. Let our life look bedraggled, our social standing be less than stellar. We are sons and daughters of the King, possessors of eternal life.
And what else does the Good Shepherd say? No one can snatch them out of My hand. No one, not even Satan and all his forces, can pull us from Christ. But while Jesus declares that no one can snatch them out of My hand, we can choose to jump out of His hand. Christ does not chain us to Himself. We are not straitjacketed into heaven. It’s a dangerous doctrine that teaches, “once saved, always saved,” because it’s possible to fall away.
And that’s why the Shepherd keeps calling to His sheep, so we can continue to hear His voice and be where we are safe and where we belong—in His hand.
Prayer
Gracious God, bring us closer to Your Son, Jesus, and keep us in His care so we may enjoy the peace and security we have in Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Response
Remember His yet-to-come disciples—the sheep who are not yet in His flock. Could it be that you’re the very disciple the Shepherd has commissioned to call them to Him?