Daily Meditation - FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER - 13April 2008 - HE HAS OUR DAILY CONCERNS AS ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO HIM

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BarbaraTherese

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Readings
usccb.org/nab/041308.shtml

Meditation
wau.org/meditations/meditations.asp?month=4&day=13&year=2008&x=11&y=5
John 10:1-10

The sheep in Jesus’ parable recognize and run to the shepherd’s voice because they know without a doubt that they are safe with him.
  • They know that no harm will come as long as the shepherd is with them.
  • While the hired hand is only doing a job and so is not committed to the sheep,
  • the shepherd has invested his whole life in his flock.
  • He simply cannot abandon them because he loves them too much.
    Clearly, Jesus was not discussing sheep just because they are gentle, pleasant animals!*** He used their innocent, trusting nature to demonstrate the qualities that will enable us to know him more.*** The sheep will follow only the shepherd’s voice because they know that he has their concerns at the forefront of his heart.
  • We live in a time when many voices call out to us in the course of a day.
  • Work beckons us, as do our responsibilities at home, the desire for wealth, the temptation to power, and the supposed need for greater and greater security.
  • While some of these voices are good and others not so good, any one of them can quickly gain the upper hand and distract us from the one Voice we should never ignore
  • the voice of Jesus.
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  • When we give the other voices top priority, we end up distant from the Lord—and that can lead us to feeling distracted, tired, and unproductive.
  • By contrast, when we are listening to Jesus, his words comfort us and give us peace.
  • He helps us with our responsibilities to work and family, and he helps to quiet the voices of fear, anxiety, or resentment.
  • Granted, all of our questions and concerns won’t disappear overnight.
  • Some may never go away.
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But Jesus promises that like the good shepherd, he will never abandon us. He will walk with us and guide us with his wisdom.
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“Jesus, I surrender my heart to you.

You know everything I need.
Help me to hear your voice above all the others.
I want to cling to you alone, my Good Shepherd.”
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ABUNDANT LIFE:

From the Gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday of Easter in the last verse (John 10:10) we have:
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly
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What does that mean - to have a more abundant life?
  • I want a new, better, faster, sporter car?
  • I want a new house?
  • I want a house on the beach (or in the mountains)?
  • I want to make a lot of money?
  • I want to be powerful
  • I want to command respect and have a high position
But … what really is that “abundant life”?

James 5:1-3 says:
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire.
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Riches won’t do it - position won’t do it.

What really do we want? How about Galations 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is (AR)love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
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Having God’s love, joy and that peace that is beyond human understanding - to me that is the abundant life!!! By trusting in Jesus and walking in His ways, we all can have that abundant life!!! Thanks be to God!!! :yup:
 
Thank you, Bruce, for your regular contributions to this Daily Meditation thread:thumbsup: …Barb
 
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