Living 4 Him

“His sheep follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:4

Remember Mary and her little lamb?  The one with fleece as white as snow who followed her to school?  That little lamb not only followed Mary, but also her instinct.  Sheep are herd animals and naturally follow the one who cares for them. Sheep cannot make decisions.  Left on their own, they would eat the grass bare in a particular place unless a shepherd moves them around the pasture. Sheep definitely need a shepherd.

Shepherding, a common practice of the culture, is mentioned in Old Testament scriptures nearly 100 times. It is not surprising that Jesus used this illustration, commonly known as the story of the Good Shepherd, to share important insight about his role as shepherd of the sheep.

The story begins in the 10th chapter of the gospel of John.  

John 10:1-6 relays the actual parable, describing the action of those not using the gate to tend the sheep to be a thief or robber.  He says a true shepherd will enter by the gate to call his sheep, and his sheep will follow the shepherd because they know his voice.  The sheep will not recognize the voice of a stranger.

In John 10:7-10 Jesus helps explain the parable, which also refers to passages in Ezekiel 34, a message to God’s people that Israel has been led astray, so God himself will become the shepherd to lead his people. (Ezekiel 34:11)  Jesus states that he is the gate for the sheep.  Those who enter by his gate will be saved and given life in full abundance. “I have come to bring life in abundance.” John 10:10  Jesus further relates that he is the Good Shepherd, the one who will lay down his life to bring every sheep into the fold under authority of his Father.

The definition of the Good Shepherd as I understand it, is the One who knows truth and cares for the sheep in the best way possible.  He uses his authority to drive away dangers, even laying down his life to make sure every sheep comes into the safety of the fold. His qualifications sound like the shepherd I want to follow!

After reading this parable (3 times) I grew curious to know if modern day shepherds still exist.  The answer is “yes.”  I read a blog by Doug Bender,  a shepherd in Pennsylvania.  He told of getting to know his flock.  The first couple of weeks, the sheep paid no attention when he went out to feed them.  However, once they realized he was their caretaker, they began approaching with joy and delight whenever they saw him. Full article here: https://blog.iamsecond.com/lessons-from-a-modern-shepherd#comments-listing

I smiled at the image in my mind as I read of sheep jumping for joy and frolicking at the sight of their master and all that he could provide for them.  These sheep give us a magnificent picture of what our relationship with Jesus can be like! What fabulous joy we can experience just knowing that we are in his loving presence in every moment. And as Jesus taught, the first step in following this dynamic joy is knowing his voice.

In scripture, in prayer, in awareness through our daily living, we can know the voice of Jesus, speaking through the authority of His Father, providing a path to abundant living and a vital connection to the blessings of God’s heart.

“If we know the Lord, we have already heard His voice–after all, it was the inner leading that brought us to Him in the first place. But we can hear His voice once and still miss His best if we don’t keep on listening.”
― Loren Cunningham, Is That Really You, God?: Hearing the Voice of God

Slow down and tune in . . . Jesus is speaking today.

Reaching in (allowing God’s word to work in our lives):

Read the entire teaching from Jesus in John 10: 1-18.  

Read Ezekiel 34 to learn more about God’s message about becoming the Shepherd of his people.

Read the red letters of Jesus and listen to his voice so you may follow him more closely. 

Reaching out (taking God’s word into the world):

Listen to God’s voice in a verse of scripture that is meaningful to you and send it out to others in text, email, Easter card, etc.