What Jesus Did! 'His Sheep' — John 10:11-13

Thursday, July 16, 2026

[Jesus continued,] "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep."
— John 10:11-13 NLT

Key Thought

Will God run? Yes, he will run to meet us when we return to him from rebellion! [1] Will Jesus run? No, he will not run away from us when we are in danger or face hardships and attacks. They both love us intensely and want us safe and home with them and will do anything and everything we will let them do to make sure that happens. Don't let the evil one make you doubt God's love. Human shepherds are fallible and will sometimes stumble, fall, and let us down. Our heavenly shepherd, however, will not fail us, will seek and find us, and has already paid the horrible price required to ransom us from sin, death, and destruction.

[1] Luke 15:11-32.

Today's Prayer

O Father, may I never ever outlive my love for you. May I never doubt your love and steadfast care. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

13 Related Resources by Heartlight

John 10:11
Devo: Today's Verse
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
John 10:11
Devo: Today's Verse
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
John 10:11
Devo: Today's Verse
""I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.""
Laying Down His Life
Illustration of John 10:11
Inspirational illustration of John 10:11 -- I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.
See All 13 Related Resources about John 10:11-13

Illustration

Illustration of John 10:11-13 NLT — He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Thursday, July 16, 2026

Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'God of Deliverance!' (Acts 24:1)
"Five days [after the Roman troops took Paul from Jerusalem to Caesarea,] Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish elders and the..."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Strong in Christ' (Ep. 6:10-12)
"Dear Father, King, and Commander of the holy armies, Though you have lifted me up to reign in the heavenly places with Christ, remind me that your..."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'Spousal Mistreatment Hinders Prayer' (1 Pe. 3:7)
"In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are,...."
Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Charles H. Spurgeon:
"Defend the Bible? I would just as soon defend a lion. Just turn the Bible loose. It will defend itself."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!