Day 297: John 9:1-10:21

I love this note from my Bible concerning the disciples questioning why a man was born blind: If God took suffering away whenever we asked, we would follow him for comfort and convenience, not out of love and devotion. When you suffer from a disease, tragedy, or disability, try not to ask, "Why did this happen to me?" or "What did I do wrong?" Instead, ask God to give you strength for the trial and a clearer perspective on what is happening. But in my opinion, we may never get that clearer perspective.

I love this part about the shepherd and the sheep. I was listening to a pastor on the radio the other day teaching on this. He said that sheep have 4 main characteristics. They are DUMB (you never see a sheep trained for the circus). They are DIRTY (they have no way to keep themselves clean). They are DIRECTIONLESS (they will wander around with no real goal or destination or purpose). And they are DEFENSELESS (they have no way to protect themselves against predators). I thought WOW! That is so like me! If we look at ourselves with these 4 characteristics in mind, no wonder we so desperately need a shepherd! People that lived in that culture probably understood this analogy far more that people living in a city and maybe seeing a sheep at a petting zoo do. I am so thankful that I have a good shepherd directing my life!