I hardly know what to write without making myself feel unduly vulnerable in print.

So I’ll just say I’ve been feeling down lately.

Then this morning I’m reminded that the Shepherd knows His sheep by name.

“To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out” (John 10:3).

That clicks for me emotionally.

Sure, the truths in this verse have their significant spiritual dimensions.

But the need it speaks to at this time is emotional.

And I am grateful.

I hope I become restful too.

The Jewish religious leaders excommunicated a man whose blindness Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. They threw him out because he defended Jesus.

To be “kicked out” of your religious group is serious business indeed. To be expelled from the synagogue, that was bad, bad, bad. (In this case, the man didn’t deserve the treatment he got.)

But the One who matters cared:

“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” (John 9:35).

Jesus went looking for this fellow!

Jesus knew the man had suffered abuse, scorn, and injustifice for standing up for Him.

So Jesus went looking for him. That surely does bless my heart!

Jesus found him, showed him the way, and accepted him into His fellowship.

Thus the man went from cast out to taken in.

And that’s just like Jesus!