In the Gospel of John, chapter 10 verses 1 through 16, Jesus identifies himself as the Good Shepherd, the one who knows his sheep and is known by them compared to the Thief, who sneaks in or the Wolf who attacks the flock (similar to Peter's Lion that devours in 1 Pet 5:8).
The Shepherd, Jesus tells us, knows his sheep and they know him. This is shown by the fact that when he calls to them, they recognize his voice and come to him. This truth speaks to the fact that there is a relationship between the sheep and the Shepherd.
The sheep aren't just livestock that the Shepherd has purchased and then are left to roam the countryside, foraging for themselves and finding their own way. The Shepherd and the sheep spend time together. The sheep become comfortable with him, learn to trust him, become familiar with his voice and follow when he calls to them.
This reminds me a bit of my Air Force TI (training instructor) in basic. Wherever my flight (group of 50 trainees) might be, he was nearby. When it was time for us to go somewhere else, he would call out for us and we would immediately head in his direction. Even though there were other flights in the area with other TI's calling for them, we recognized his call and went to hm.
How was this possible with all the different TI's calling out from different locations, sometimes even quite close together? We knew his voice because we spent time together daily. His "bark" (more sounds than words) was clear and distinct from the others because we had a relationship that allowed us to quickly and clearly identity him.
When we spend time with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, daily in prayer and devotion, we come to know his voice quickly and clearly as well. When the voices in our heads are clamoring to get us to follow down a path of sin, we know those voices aren't the Good Shepherd's. We don't have to guess when the Deceiver calls us, we know it is not our Shepherd's voice, not because we are familiar with the Devil but because we are intimately familiar with the Shepherd.
If I walk into a crowded room with people talking and laughing, I can tell you immediately if one of them is my wife or not. I don't need to know any of the other voices, I just know hers and whether I'm hearing it or not. If I see a woman from across the room with her back to me, I may not be able to tell you who it is but I can tell you if it is my wife or not. I know her shape, her stance, the way she holds her head. Why? We have that intimate relationship in which we spend time together daily and I know her as she knows me.
Followers of Jesus know him in the same way; spending daily, intimate time with the Shepherd in prayer and devotion. They read his Word regularly, listen for his voice above the din of so many clamoring to get their attention. Despite all the noise and distraction of the Evil One in this world, disciples can clearly hear Jesus' call and follow him, not because they are church-goers or religious, but because they are in a relationship. He is their Shepherd and they are His sheep.
What about you? Do you know His voice? Are you spending time with him daily? Are you in an intimate relationship with Jesus? Jus' Ask'n.
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