My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27
Have you ever suddenly gotten lost in a crowd? This feeling of being lost can be very concerning. One minute we are with our people, keeping our eyes locked on the person in front of us, then suddenly they have disappeared, and we do not know who to follow or where to go. Suddenly panic sets in until we refocus our eyes and find them, or they find us. This feeling of being lost and not knowing what direction to take or where to go is disorienting, but there is good news. With Christ as our shepherd, we never have to worry about feeling this way because, as our shepherd, Christ will lead us where we need to go. The question is, will we follow Him?
Jesus taught His followers in John 10 that He was the Good Shepherd and that they were like sheep. Specifically, His followers were, and still are, His sheep. His sheep, Jesus explained, follow Him. “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me (verse 27). Notice the progression that happens in this verse: the sheep listen to God’s voice, He knows them (and they know Him), and they follow Him. Following the Good Shepherd begins by listening to His voice, which leads to Him knowing us and us knowing Him. As a result of knowing the Good Shepherd, we follow Him.
Even today, as we, too, are sheep, the question at hand is “who (or what) will we follow?” The truth is, there are many people, places, and things that are fighting for our allegiance and our attention. We get to decide who or what we will follow. Despite everyone and everything vying for our attention, Scripture makes it clear that Christ is the only One worthy of following. After all, He is the Good Shepherd. May we spend time with Him, get to know Him and His voice, and commit to following Him today.
In your prayer today, commit to following Him. Acknowledge all of the places you may be tempted to turn and tell Him that you want to follow Him instead. Ask Him for strength and direction to follow Him instead of anything else in this world.
Read John 10:14-26 (NLT)
“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
When he said these things, the people[a] were again divided in their opinions about him. Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?” Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Jesus Claims to Be the Son of GodIt was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep.
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