My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. John 10:27
Have you ever studied sheep? They aren't the smartest of animals by any stretch and yet they know, without a doubt, the voice of their shepherd. They trust their shepherd with their lives. When he speaks, they go to him. They rely on him wholeheartedly. For it is through him they will get their food and be led to their safe shelter.
The Lord is our shepherd and we are His sheep. He lovingly directs and guides us. But our success and safety is determined by how well we listen and how well we know His voice. In our busy lives it's hard to hear when His voice gets drowned out by all the other noises and voices around us? How well we know His voice is determined by how much time we spend with Him (away from distractions).
If we don't know our Shepherd's voice how will we be able to distinguish between His voice and someone far less trustworthy? Will we know which way to go or will we get lost? Or will we simply follow the sheep next to us because we're sure it was listening?
Wisdom says we can't rely on the knowledge of other sheep in our flock. We must be able to hear and distinguish our shepherd's voice on our own. The direction He sends to one sheep may not be the same direction He's sending us.
Listen to the Shepherd's voice like your life depends on it because it does.
Encouragement for the week: Spend some time listening for God's voice. The more you listen for it - the more you will recognize it when He speaks to you. Consistently being in prayer and reading God's Word will help you learn His voice (His cadence). Once you know His style of speaking it will be easier to recognize His voice.
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