The Upload
Posted on Apr 15, 2016 by
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I pray you have had a blessed week.
The world is filled with voices trying to grab our attention, isn’t it? There are voices that want us to believe that we should be fearful of those that are different than us. There are voices that proclaim that unless we believe a certain way or act a certain way that God will not love us. There are voices that want us to believe that their ways are the best and we ought to follow them. There are voices that attempt to make us feel unworthy and alone. And oftentimes, these voices are attempting to make us feel as though we have no one watching after us and that, without them, we cannot survive. The world is filled with voices that want us to follow them.
There is only one voice we are called to listen to, though, and that voice is the voice of Jesus. In our Gospel text this week, Jesus proclaims to those who refuse to believe that, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). Regardless of what the world tries to tell us, Jesus promises that he will never abandon us.
In this world there are many voices that tell us how to grow closer to God: By having a prescribed religious experience, by believing the correct doctrine, by reaching a higher level of knowledge or a higher level of morality. But in our story this week, Jesus says that never does our status before God depend on how we feel, or on having the right experience, or on being free of doubt, or on what we accomplish. No, our life depends on only one thing, and that is that we are known by Jesus.
You belong to Jesus! The truth is, no matter what the world tries to tell you, remember that you belong to Jesus already and no one can snatch you out of his hand. Secure in this knowledge, we are free to live life abundantly, the life Jesus proclaims he came to give us, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
I know that this can be difficult to believe sometimes, but I pray that even if you are in the midst of grieving from the death of a loved one, or if you are fearful of the world around you, or if you fear because your income is limited and you don’t know how you will pay your bills or maintain your healthcare, that you know that Jesus walks with you and he will not let you go. His word of promise this week is that no one can snatch you from him. Know this day that you belong to Jesus and that you are his.
Have a blessed week!
Shalom,
Pr. Dave