The Voice of the Shepherd

The Voice of the Shepherd | Devotional

Scripture Reading: John 10:1– 5
key Verse: John 10:4

And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

Have you ever seen a child who cannot find his mother in a crowd? Although she may be out of sight, the little tyke may still hear her voice.

It is almost as though his inner radar scans the sounds around him, looking for that one familiar tone. Did you know that Jesus encouraged His hearers to have that same familiarity with the voice of God?

In today’s passage from the gospel of John, Jesus likens His followers to sheep under the direction of the Great Shepherd.

In this parallel, we see that only the shepherd can approach the flock without causing alarm.

If an unknown intruder were to come near, the sheep would immediately sense danger, and the doorkeeper would not open the stable door.

Also, we see that the sheep follow the shepherd wherever he leads because they know his voice. Just like a child listening for his mother, sheep instantly recognize the shepherd by his voice.

Why is this analogy important to us today? It is because we are the sheep and Jesus is the Shepherd.

He has entered our “flock” by stepping into human history, and He calls us to Himself by word and deed.

Can you hear the word of the Lord? He desires to make Himself known in your life.

If you have trouble hearing His voice, stop and pray for help in quieting the noises of the world so that you can focus intently on the voice of your Great Shepherd.

Lord, when I can’t discern Your voice, help me not to ask You to speak louder but, rather, to spend more time listening for it.