John 10:14-16, 27, 5 (NLT) - 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish…
It is so heartening that Jesus promised that His sheep would hear His voice. Jesus walks ahead of us, and we follow Him as one flock because we recognize His call. If you are one of His sheep, be assured and overjoyed today that you may hear His voice.
If you find that you often have trouble hearing the sound of His voice, do consider, “What can I do to better listen to Him?” Some questions that may help:
1 - Do I need to walk more closely, so that His voice is not in the distance? (Is there an area He has asked me to follow or obey that I have not yet done so?)
2 - Do I need to better listen to and walk in the direction of and listen to the shepherds God has given me?
Let’s ask for a richness of hearing and following His voice in us, in our church. Let’s pray for those who follow and for those who lead. Let’s ask for even greater closeness and quickness in following His voice.
Let’s also pray according to v. 16 for, asking God that He will send us to and bring the “other sheep” who are to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd through our church and ministries.
- BR
