[Jesus said] “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

Devotion based on John 10:27,28

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have your mom or dad ever promised to take you somewhere fun—like the zoo, a movie, or out for ice cream? Did you believe them? Hopefully, you did! But why? Why do you trust that your mom or dad will do what they say?

You might say, “Because they love me,” or “Because they’ve taken me places before.” And that’s a great reason! If someone keeps their promises again and again, it’s easy to trust them the next time, right?

That’s kind of how it works with Jesus, but even better! Jesus always keeps his promises—every single one. Sometimes, it might feel like his promises are taking a long time. Or maybe they don’t happen exactly how we thought they would. But Jesus never forgets. He always does what he says.

That’s why it’s important to listen to Jesus’ voice—your Good Shepherd’s voice. But how do you hear his voice?

You hear Jesus’ voice when you read the Bible. You hear him when you do devotions at home with your family. You hear him when you sing songs and listen during church. Every time you learn about Jesus, you’re learning to recognize his voice more and more.

And when life gets scary or confusing—and it will sometimes—you’ll know which voice to listen to: your Good Shepherd’s.

In today’s Bible verse, Jesus makes an awesome promise. He says that he gives his sheep (that’s you!) eternal life, and no one can ever pull them out of his hand. You belong to him. You are safe. Forever.

So, until the day you get to meet your Good Shepherd face-to-face in heaven, keep listening to his voice. Trust his promises. And tell other people how great it is to have a Shepherd like Jesus who loves you so much!

Thank you for being my Good Shepherd and making me one of your sheep. Help me listen to your voice more and more every day. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

Questions for Elementary Age Children

Questions for Middle School and Above