I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,  just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. (John 10:14-15)

Read: 2 Kings 18:13-37, 2 Chronicles 32:1-8. Isaiah 36:1-22, Micah 6:1 – 7:20

Relate: Recently, I was talking with a new friend and he pulled out his phone so that we could connect on facebook. When he looked me up, he saw that we had multiple “friends” in common and the one right on top was someone he was close to. The sad thing is, I recognized the picture and the name but I honestly couldn’t place how I knew this facebook “friend”. Was it through ARC? Was it someone I met at General Counsel? Was it from someone active in the U40 group? I was drawing a blank.

Currently, I have 1,250 friends on facebook. I wonder for how many of them I would flounder just like this? Technically I have some six hundred followers on twitter. I don’t even use twitter… what are they following? Usually I am pretty good with faces, but I am terrible with names. I couldn’t tell you how many times I have spent a good thirty minutes to an hour in a conversation with someone and the whole time in my mind I’m desperately trying to remember their name. It could be someone I’ve known for months or even years, it doesn’t matter. I’m just that bad.

React: Jesus doesn’t have this problem. Correction, for those that are His, Jesus doesn’t have this problem. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He loves us more deeply and passionately than we could ever love spouses, parents, and children. What we’re going through, He knows. what we are passionate about, He knows. What we love and hate, He knows. Everything there is to know about us, He does. Crazy thing is, He loves us anyways.

On Judgment Day, there will be people for whom He will be drawing a blank. They will be like, “Jesus, remember me? I went to church every week. I tithed. I even helped out in the soup kitchen.” He will respond, “Who are you again?” Some will be like, “Jesus, I preached about you every single week for years.” That blank look will cross his face and He will respond, “Me? Are you sure that was about me?” There will be those who say, “Jesus, Jesus…” And He will simply say, “I know my sheep, but who are you?”

Respond:

Jesus, Your Name is the only one that really matters. Only You can save. Let me live my life, let my order my thoughts, let me surrender my heart in such a way that You will know my name on that day. I want You. More than anything, I want You. Let me know You and not just about You. Let me serve You and not be about serving myself in Your Name. Let everything I say and do be for You alone.