Playgrounds make parents nervous sometimes. When there are so many other kids, parents worry that you’ll get lost. That’s why your dad will check on you by hollering your name. It carries all the way from the sidewalk past the monkey bars to the swings. The other kids don’t even look up, but you do. All because you know his voice. When it’s time to go, he’ll call your name again, because he wants to make sure you get home safely.
You know another voice too. As Jesus was talking about being the Good Shepherd, he called his followers his sheep: “My sheep respond to my voice, and I know who they are. They follow me, and I give them eternal life. They will never be lost, and no one will tear them away from me” (John 10:27,28).
When Jesus was on the cross, he was thinking of you because he didn’t want you to get lost. Because he knew you, he stayed on the cross for you. By taking your sins away, he’s given you the gift of knowing his voice. Now, when your Shepherd calls for you to come, you listen to him because you know his voice. Even though you can’t see him, your Shepherd is still thinking of you while he prepares your place in heaven. His love is what gives you the strength to look up when he calls and to get through all of Satan’s temptations each day so when he calls for you to go home, you get there safely.
Dear Jesus, you know me by name. You know me and you love me. I am your child. Thank you! Amen.
