My Sheep Know My Voice
Scripture Passage: John 10:1-16 (Jesus said) “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
Therefore, Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
I’d love to tell you that I’m a Simple Man, but that’s probably not true. I’m fairly complex. Sometimes so much so that I have a hard time figuring myself out. But I do enjoy simple things. I love my farm, the outdoors, and animals. And of course, I love sharing the Gospel.
Now, with the blessing of having a farm come the added work of caring for the animals but there is such a joy in it for me. It kinda pushes me to get outside and get some fresh air and exercise when sometimes I would otherwise get a little lazy and lethargic.
In our menagerie (a “menagerie” is a collection of animals kept in captivity for exhibit, I just looked it up, I guess it’s a fancy word for zoo, now I challenge you to use that word in conversation this week you’ll sound really smart!) we have sheep, Nigerian Dwarf Goats, Chickens( at least a dozen different breeds) 3 dairy cows, 3 beef cows, 2 dogs, and a rabbit; in addition to my sons’ indoor pets.
The other day, my wife reminded me to pull some hay out for the sheep and goats, so before work I walked out to the field. As soon as I opened the gate Xavier, our ram, came running across the field to play and follow me around. Ok maybe this is a simple side of me, but it just brought a smile to my face and a warmth to my heart. Not only do I get to have these animals and they bring joy to my life. They love me, and I guess I bring joy to theirs. It was a simple “Moment” of Happiness. The added benefit is animals, unlike people, are simple. If you give them food and water, they love you! People usually want more than that!
It made me think of Jesus words in John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” Jesus is a good Shepherd and has given us everything we have including eternal life!
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Prayer: Lord help me to act more towards you the way Xavier acts towards Willie, to run to you at the sound of your voice, to run to wherever I see you, and where I see you at work. Help me to follow you with joy.
Point to Ponder: Do I know the voice of Jesus? If so, do I chase it when I hear it or do I drag my feet? Are there other voices that I am following instead?
Verse to Memorize and Meditate on: John 10:14 (Jesus said) “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”
Apply it to your life: Take a moment of your own today and enjoy some of the simple blessings in your life like family and friends and give thanks to God!
Leave a comment below to share what God spoke to you specifically in this passage
