The Voice of God

My sheep know my voice

Have you ever trusted someone so much that you would trust and follow their advice almost completely? You had confidence that if you told them about a need in your life they would speak wisdom with discernment that would be for your good. Can you remember what got you to that point of trusting them so much? That is who Christ is to be for us: our Good Shepherd.

READ John 10:1-15

For us today talk of shepherds and sheep may not mean much because we don’t have much experience with them but in Jesus’ day it was different. The main part of Judea is a central plateau. It extends about 56 kilometers from Bethel to Hebron. It averages about 24 kilometers wide. The soil of this plateau is shallow and stony. Because of this it was not good for agriculture so it was mostly used as grazing land for sheep. This imagery of a shepherd was understood well by all the listeners who had gathered to listen to the teachings of Christ.

During the winter, when there was no grass in the fields, the sheep were often kept closer to the cities in pens, where they would many times be mixed with sheep from others’ flocks. During the spring and summer the sheep were kept out in the fields. It was then the shepherd’s responsibility to care for the sheep by providing food, water, place to sleep, and safety, even to the point of giving one’s life for his sheep.

At other times shepherds were hired to take care of the sheep, but of course they were not willing to sacrifice their lives or to give their full heart to the task of caring for the sheep. For them they were there because it is a job that they get paid for.

The sheep in Israel were used for wool, not for meat. So many shepherds might have known their sheep for years. They likely had known their sheep by name and their sheep knew the shepherd’s voice.

With all of this background the verses begin to have deeper meaning. Jesus could enter the pen and call his sheep by name. His sheep would recognize his voice. Because of the experience they would have had with his provision for them in the past they would follow him in the present. As a shepherd He was willing to lay down his life for the sheep and they had likely witnessed that at some time in the past.

As Jesus goes on to say,

“My sheep know my voice . . . and they follow me.”

For those of us who have come to know Jesus Christ it is our privilege to walk with Him daily. As we trust in Him we experience him more and get to know what He is really like.

In the midst of this life’s joy and struggles we come to experience God and to know Him well. But how can we know Him as the Great Physician unless we experience sickness? How can we know Him as the Great Provider unless we experience times of need? How can we know Him as the Prince of Peace unless we know times of uncertainty? How can others see the light of God if His children never walk through times of darkness? How can the world see forgiveness if believers in Christ are never sinned against?

As a sheep experiences life with the shepherd, he comes to recognize his voice and trust his character. It is the same with us and Jesus Christ.

We will recognize the voice and will of God because it will be in line with the character of God. If it is not in line with his character, it is not his voice. For example, imagine a Christian business woman is offered a promotion. It offers more money, fame, power, travel, and potential for climbing the corporate ladder. It also means she will be away from her family a lot, she will never be at church on Sundays, and she at times might need to hide some of her income from the government for the sake of the company. The woman is excited about the possibilities, and calls some Christian friends to talk about the possibility. At dinner she sits and tells them about her opportunity. When she is finished they begin to discuss it. They congratulate her on being offered the position, but then let her know that they didn’t see the “fingerprints” of God anywhere on it. As Christians, money, power, fame, travel, are not our chief goals, and that’s what she would be gaining. Family, God, and living honorably are eternally important, and that’s what she would be losing. She was asking for God’s will and by the end of the conversation it had become clear. She would refuse the promotion. God had spoken through his people.

To recognize God’s voice we must know His character. We also must have already decided that we will obey what he says no matter what. If we are not fully submitted to God’s will, then a prayer for guidance is nothing more than wanting God to approve our selfish agenda. Another key question for hearing God’s voice is, “Is there anything that God has already told you to do that you haven’t done yet?” Why should God tell us the next part of His will if we didn’t obey the last thing He told us?

As we search the Bible, pray with surrendered hearts, research the situation, and listen to the input of other believers, God will begin to make His character and His will clear to us.

May we each recognize His voice, trust His character, and follow Him completely.

-----By Tim Melton-----

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