My Sheep
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27, ESV
In the verse above Jesus is speaking to some of the Jews at the temple who do not believe He is the Son of God. They have asked Him if He was the Christ, and to tell them plainly. In Jesus’s answer to them He quotes the verse above. There was a time in my life when that scripture really bothered me because I did not know if I was one who heard Jesus’s voice. I had accepted Jesus as my personal savior and knew His commandment, but I did not hear His voice.
I remember asking Jesus, “How come I don’t hear your voice?” I said, “I attend church and I hear what the pastor speaks about your Word, and I understand what they are saying but I don’t hear your voice speaking to me.” In those moments I did not realize that God was inviting me into a personal relationship with Him. When your heart starts to prompt you with questions, it is God drawing you into Him. I had accepted Christ as my personal savior but had stopped right there. I had not made the attempt to get to know Him personally. As I started to sit with Him, He started to speak to me. At first, I was really surprised and would say, “Is that you? Are you speaking to me or is this my imagination?” He definitely let me know it was Him.
See, I did not recognize His voice at first because I had not spent time with Him. When I first started dating my husband, I did not recognize his voice in a large crowd. But after many years of marriage, I can recognize him even if I can’t see him. I can identify his walk, his cough, his laugh, the way he speaks because my ears have been trained to recognize his behaviors. It is the same with God. The more we spend time with Him, the more we will know Him. I can feel God’s still, quiet voice speaking to me even now. I feel His touch in my spirit saying, “Do this” or “sit here” or “don’t move yet.” He is always speaking and giving direction because He is my shepherd, and I am His sheep.
Jesus goes on to say to the Jews, “…those who hear his voice he gives them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no on is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:28-31). Because of this, the Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. When we are so overcome by our own thoughts, we can seek to crush the blessing that is right before us without even knowing what we are doing.
Adonai,
I give you glory and praise! Thank you for opening up yourself to me and for allowing me to hear your voice. Thank you for this intimate relationship with you! Thank you for saving me. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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