The Voice of the Shepherd
“Amen, amen I tell you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. But he who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice. The shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them; and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
When I was younger, on the basketball courts every time I had the opportunity, I could get lost in a game. The sounds, the intensity, the competition, and sometimes the aggression. It was easy for me to be caught up, to react to what I saw immediately in front of me, to make a choice on instinct.
But then a voice—one particular voice—would cut through the noise. It was my father’s voice. He didn’t even have to be loud. He just had to speak, and my ears homed in, attuned to his words. He had an outside perspective. He saw the game, the whole court, and he knew things I didn’t. And he knew ME. When he’d say to cut left or to pass, it meant something—even if it seemed counterintuitive. I didn’t have to listen or follow his instructions, but when I did, my game changed. His voice gave me assurance and confidence that there was more going on than I saw.
It feels like that now. The world is full of noise, of people shouting angrily, of division and fear, of emotional reactions all over the place. But we have a limited perspective, don’t we? We need to tune in to the voice of our Father, the One with the eternal perspective.
John 10:1-5:
“Amen, amen I tell you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. But he who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice. The shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
“When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them; and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Sometimes, I listen for my Heavenly Father’s voice and tune in. Sometimes, He wakes me up in the morning, and His voice stops me in my tracks. And it can beautiful. But we need to recognize that we have a choice to listen or not.
Recently, He woke me up at 4. I didn’t want to listen, and I went back to sleep. And then He woke me up again, and I went back to sleep.
It happened 3 times. (Sound like Peter, anyone?)
And I went to the elder meeting and had so many things I wanted to say, but I didn’t get to say any of them because I didn’t feel prepared. I wonder now, if I’d taken the time to be prepared and to pray in the morning when the Lord was asking for my attention, how that might’ve gone differently.
Friends, let’s not miss out on what the Lord is saying to us. He speaks to our hearts still. Let’s listen and be prepared for whatever He’s calling us to. I had to repent for ignoring His voice and feeling that sleep was more important.
But the repentance and the peace I found in forgiveness were absolutely worth it. His is the voice I want to follow above all others. How about you?
