Daren Lindley Ministries

Scripture: John 10:8 “All who (that) ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.” Observation: What came before Jesus? In history there was a lot. Not just false teachers but passions and desires that did not come from Him. They all promise, “If you’ll pursue me, you’ll find life.” But rather than give us life they steal our joy and prove that their claims were not true. This statement is not just regarding Jesus’ preeminence but the falsehood of all else. But there is also something that should be very encouraging to us. “The sheep did not listen to them.” The scriptures declare a brilliant reality. Col. 1:27 says, “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

 What’s the mystery? Christ is in you and He in you is your hope of Glory. He’s not outside of you. He’s not in some faraway place we have to trek to, he’s here. We are in Him and he is in us. As we rightly answered as little children when asked where Jesus is, he’s in our heart! In Galatians 2:20 Paul says, “Christ lives in me…” With Christ dwelling in us we have an awareness and sensitivity to him.

We are often encouraged to get a hold of a truth or principle that when applied rightly will produce some good. But we often ignore that quiet voice in our spirit, Christ himself. Jesus said that the sheep did not listen to all the others who came before him. The good news is that if we are born again, Christ is in us. We don’t have to master anything, just listen and respond. Remember, the heart that longs for Beautiful Jesus hears his voice best.

Application: I want to make sure that I’m not looking for all the offerings of wisdom that remain outside of Christ and make sure that I am listening to his voice that comes from within.

Prayer: Help me, dear Jesus, to lay down my will and embrace yours. Cause me as one of your sheep to never run from your voice but always listen and find your solace, comfort and strength.