Goes on ahead

It had been a while since I had looked deeply at the John 10 good shepherd passage, so when the speaker mentioned it, I turned to the gospel with interest. Within that chapter, Jesus teaches:

"The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice."

The part that caught my ear this time was the "goes on ahead of them" part. I began to think about the pillar of cloud/fire that preceded the children of Israel in the desert.

Then I thought: How comforting to think about my shepherd going on head of me! What an interesting thought that any place I go, he has already gone there.

Like the scouts that went on ahead of the wagon train, finding river crossings and passes through the mountains and sources of water....... which sounds a lot like Psalm 23, doesn't it? ........ my shepherd goes on ahead of me, seeking green pastures, right paths, and the way through the valley of the shadow.

He goes on ahead into what is unknown to me, and it's not just physical locations. He goes on ahead into my tomorrows to prepare things for me. I don't know what awaits me there, but he does -- he's already been there. I am bound by time. He is not.

When I am awake in the middle of the night, worrying what if . . . and speculating on how things might go wrong, my anxiety is unnecessary because my shepherd has already gone on ahead of me and scouted out the territory. He has visited my tomorrow and my next week and can guide me today with absolute certainty.

There is no guesswork involved in his leading because he has gone on ahead and identified the pitfalls...... maybe cleared some of the path for me so that I won't lose my way, maybe set up some barriers to keep me away from the cliff's edge.

Perhaps when I find myself complaining about how difficult my journey seems, I should remember that he has gone on ahead of me and take note of the cairns he has set up for me.

I realize with some guilt that I've had a mental picture of myself as an intrepid trailblazer moving forward with only my own wits to protect me. I guess I have known that my shepherd was with me -- but maybe I have pictured him as just being along for the ride. Now I see how mistaken that is!

Perhaps I'll see my journey with different eyes now.

But wait. What was the rest of that scripture? and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. Ah.......my part of the equation. And a part that isn't so easy for me sometimes.

But I think knowing that he is going on ahead somehow makes it easier to be a good follower. I'll let you know . . .