Not so long ago, Joy and I were visiting our then ACTS office in New Zealand and, while there, we spent a few days sightseeing some of the beautiful NZ countryside. It seemed like everywhere we went there were sheep, sheep, sheep and more sheep.

What we saw were flocks of sheep but, as Max Lucado points out, what the shepherd sees is a sheep—an individual sheep—and knows the characteristics of every one of his sheep. And, at least in New Testament times, the shepherd apparently knew each of his sheep by name.

When Jesus, the Good Shepherd, sees you and me in a crowd, he doesn’t see the crowd. He sees every one of “his sheep” as individuals and knows each one of us by name. He knows our joys, our sorrows, our gains, our losses, our successes, our failures—and he loves each one of us devotedly. We are not a crowd to him. We are his individual children.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that when I accept Jesus as my Savior, you know me by name, know everything about me, and always want the best for me because you care deeply about me and love me devotedly. Please help me always to remember that I am one of your special ‘sheep’ and love you devotedly too. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. John 10:27-28 (NKJV).