The Good Shepherd’s Voice

     When we think about sheep, we know they stick together in a group and tend to blindly follow the flock. Sheep seem to be timid, fearful and easily panicked. They sometimes stampede and are vulnerable to mob psychology. Sheep are pretty defenseless and make easy targets for predators. They are helpless without the shepherd and need continuous guidance and care. Is it any wonder that God calls us sheep.  The function of a shepherd is to lead the sheep to pasture and water to sustain them. The shepherd also protects the sheep from wild animals and other harmful things, guards the sheep at night from the things they cannot see and counts them as his own as they enter the gate.

     The gospel of John chapter 10 is probably one of my favorite passages in the bible because we are reminded that we are sheep and Jesus is our Good Shepherd. It says the sheep hear his voice, he calls them by name and leads them out. When he has brought them out, all his own, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice and they will not follow another.

The shepherd: Leads, Protects, Guards and counts them as one of his own.

      So, if we are sheep and Jesus is the Good Shepherd, it says we follow His voice. He knows us by name and when we hear his voice, we will not follow another. I believe God is telling us in this scripture that we need to be able to recognize him and his voice. We need to stay connected so we know it is him guiding us, but can be reassured that he wants us to know him and not be led astray. He wants to be recognized in our lives and gives us many ways to know that He is here.

   When I think about other people in my life that I have a connection with, especially the ones who are closest to me there are many ways I recognize them. I know my husband is home from work when I see his Big, Red Dodge pickup pull into our driveway. I recognize when my son comes home to visit because I notice his old cowboy boots sitting by the door. I can tell when my oldest boy stops by because I hear his footsteps sauntering through the house. My daughter is easy to recognize because she bounces through the house with a song coming from her heart. There are other people in my life that I know by the vehicle they drive, the coat they wear, or the color of their hair but there’s also something about their voice.  When I have something big on my mind and need to feel reassured, there is nothing better than hearing the sound of my mother’s voice.  A quick phone call to my Mom offering me encouragement and making me feel loved, can make me have a better day. Isn’t it interesting how we also identify and recognize people by the sound of their voice, and how much that affects us? The sound of someone’s voice can stir up a lot of feelings and emotions.  Even if we haven’t had a chance to see them for a long time, there seems to be an instant connection when we hear their voice. From the first word spoken, we know it’s them. There is often great comfort in hearing the sound of that familiar voice. It’s often the sound of the voice, more than the words that are said that bring us close. And when we know them well, we also can pick up on the subtle differences in the way they sound. We know when something isn’t quite right by the changes we hear, and when there is a deep connection, they notice that about us too. Our voices can show power, strength, weakness, love, support, instruction, guidance, and wisdom. It is often the sound of someone’s voice we miss the most and how we long to be able to hear it again. Our voices are a distinct part of who we are and will be remembered long after we are gone. Voices stick with us through the years and shape us into becoming who we are.

     Isn’t it amazing that children can recognize their mother’s voice calling them to come home from across a busy neighborhood? Or how a basketball player picks up on their coach’s voice instructing them from the bench as the screaming crowd of fans cheers loudly.  We listen for what we know, we trust the voice of the ones who instruct us with guidance and are looking out for our best. We can always trust the guiding voice of the Lord through his spirit as we make decisions in our lives.

      There are so many other voices, noises, sounds, and distractions coming at us in our world that I feel like sometimes maybe I’m missing it. I worry that I may miss God’s leading, where he wants me to go and what He wants me to do.  The distractions of the voices on the news are constantly telling us stories of wars, crimes, violence, and corruption. When we constantly hear these stories, it can make us think that evil is taking over and fills us with fear. The noise of social media telling us of the awesome life of others or the products we need to buy can make us hear that we are inadequate, feel unsatisfied and that we are not measuring up. Sometimes we hear the voices of our past, reminding us of mistakes and regrets or things we wish we would’ve done differently and we hear that we are guilty, should be ashamed and feel condemned.

     Other times, we listen to the voice of our own negative self-talk telling us we are not good enough, we are not worthy and we feel unloved. Whatever voice we hear speaking to us the loudest will distract us from hearing the voice of the one who matters most- Our Good Shepherd. We need to stay connected, and tuned in to Him to be able to recognize His voice. We may need to be more deliberate to cut out the distractions and turn off the news, change the channel, stop giving so much time to social media and fill our hearts and minds with good things on a regular basis. When we commit ourselves to quiet time at Jesus’ feet, that is where he speaks the loudest. The Good Shepherd says, my sheep hear my voice and they will not follow another. When we take steps to be more intentional about what we are listening to, then we make more room to hear that still, small voice of the Lord. His voice can and will become stronger as we listen for it. He is God our Father, He is a trusted Friend, He is a wise counselor, He is our guide and our helper. He has promised to give us the Holy Spirit to instruct, teach, lead, help and protect us along our way.  He is a voice of peace, a voice of comfort, a voice of strength and a voice of love.   And sometimes he speaks to us in our regular daily routine. When we feel in our spirit that something isn’t right, we are overwhelmed and lack joy and energy that’s Him telling us it’s time to make a change. Maybe we notice a reoccurring thought in our mind that we need to let go of that bad habit or something we keep giving into, that’s him speaking to us. When we have a quiet thought enter our spirit that we should get involved with helping someone or give of our time to a certain cause, that’s Him leading us into part of our purpose. When we marvel at the beauty of a sunset or the way a rainbow can take over the sky, that’s him letting us know that He is still in control of this world. We can let him speak to us through the world around us, but also by what’s inside of us.

     When the voice inside begins to speak differently to us, then we begin to hear the positive, loving, encouraging voice of Jesus. His voice sounds like forgiveness and reminds us to forgive ourselves and others. His voice sounds like hope and reminds us that we have a bright future. His voice sounds like love and reminds us that we are never truly alone. His voice will never leave us or forsake us and His is the one voice that we can always count on to be there with us through the years and even at the very end. Our Good Shepherd leads us, protects us, sustains us, guides us, guards us, and counts us as one of his own.  God reaches out to us and offers a connection through his words, through songs and the beauty of his creation. Often times, we can recognize him not just by his voice, but also by his works, his miracles, his answers to prayers and his timing in working out all things for our good. I’m sure we all have stories to tell of times when we know that had to have been God. It is good to recognize and give him credit when we see those moments too and let him hear our voice offering up our praise and giving him the glory. Praising him brings us even closer to him and when we hear his voice, we will not follow another. There is instruction, correction and wisdom in his voice.  He leads us into more joy, peace, love, hope and trust and we feel understood and forgiven, loved and accepted. We need to stay connected so we know his voice and that it is him guiding us, but can be reassured that He wants us to know him and not be led astray. He will keep showing up in our lives with his beautiful voice of wisdom and when there is quietness and trust in our spirit, then we know we aren’t just blindly following the flock. We are hearing the voice of our Good Shepherd. He knows our name and we can trust where He leads us.