Obedience to the Good Shepherd

Matthew 25:31-46     John 10:1-10

 2/16/24 – San Antonio Auguas Calientes, Guatemala
 
 While walking to ministry our team had passed a man with goats in the streets. The streets in our town are narrow with: cars, busses, bikes, and people walking at all times. This man was stopped and had his flock stopped in an organized line while he milked the goat to sell despite how the streets here can get. 

Goats are generally known to be harder animals to shepherd, they are not as obedient to listening to the shepherd and following him. However, these goats obeyed their shepherd perfectly, not only that, but the goats served their masters desire of selling milk. (I am not diving deep into this revelation of sheep v. goats but focusing on obedience) 
The Holy Spirit began speaking to me immediately! Jesus said we are His sheep, we know His voice and follow Him and He gives us eternal life. Therefore goats do not belong to Jesus, they are unbelievers and people who have not obeyed Jesus, people devoted to their own desires, to their flesh, against the will of God, and sons of the devil/kingdom of darkness. –> This group of goats represents the kingdom of darkness and satan. (spiritually speaking) Goats obey their masters commands to the tee, and not only that, they serve his purposes and his desires just like the goats I saw today.
HOW MUCH MORE; us being children of God, sons of light, purchased by the blood of Jesus, given the precious Holy Spirit, should obey God’s commands in every way and serve His desires!!!

Here are some ways God is speaking to me about obedience currently:

1. Delight
• Genuinely delighting in the presence and person of Jesus more and more when I recognize who He is and His love for me. John 10 says He calls us by name, He leads us through the gate to be saved, He leads us to good pasture, and Has come to give us true life. I am so busy serving with ministry here and its easy to get caught up in loving people first, but because I genuinely delight in the greatest commandment, I love Jesus and love people well as Matthew 25 says. Thank you Jesus!

2. Seek
• When i wake up, as I walk through the day, what am I seeking? The Lord is teaching me to TRULY seek first His kingdom and His righteousness for everything as Matthew 6:33 says. Most days I wake up at 6:30am now so I can seek Him and know Him above what the day has for me. The Holy Spirit has been speaking this to me for some time, and to truly obey Him and seek Him has brought me so much joy in being near to Jesus.

These are just two of the prominent ways the Holy Spirit is bringing obedience to Jesus in my life. I feel so close to Him, He speaks to me daily, His steadfast love is so faithful. Other ways the Lord has put obedience on my heart is when Matthew 25 says we have done to the least of these we have done to Him, not only serving ministry well and loving the people I’m with, but: stepping out to pray for the people who have broken limbs, pain in their bodies, in desperate need of food or money, those who just need to talk and be seen, and the lost sheep from the 99 who needs to know Jesus. To go and make disciples of all nations and show the world that I am His disciple by the way I love others.

Please pray for me to be more and more obedient to Jesus in these areas! Thank you for reading!

https://adventuresinmissions.servicereef.com/events/adventures-in-missions-3/jan-2024-world-race-expedition-11-months/participants/noah-weinstein