John 10:1-3 New International Version (NIV)
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 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.
Monday - May 4 - Read John 10:1-3
My grandpa raised a few dozen head of cattle in a pasture by his farmhouse. As a child I remember going out into that pasture to fish in the creek that ran through it. The cows were a little curious of the intruders, but would eventually wander far away from us. But if my grandpa went out he could drive or walk right up to them. They were his. They knew him. He could call out to them and they would know his voice. All others who entered the pasture were intruders. In baptism, God has declared that you are His beloved child. This is your true identity. Anyone else who tries to enter into your heart and tell you otherwise is an intruder. Jesus has died to forgive your sins so that nothing will ever separate you from God.