“When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” — John 10:4
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Television viewers who watched until the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade last November were treated to coverage of the annual National Dog Show, a Thanksgiving tradition for more than 20 years. Pups of all shapes and sizes — and lengths of hair — pranced around as judges looked on, with multiple winners at the end of competition. However, amid all the treats and puppy kisses, an often-overlooked aspect of the show is the human trainers leading the dogs through their exhibitions.
These trainers play a vital role in the dogs’ performances in the competition. They set the pace and trajectory, and importantly, they often give the dogs little commands that improve their chances to win. The dogs heed the commands from their trainers’ voices because they deeply know and trust those voices. They’ve spent hours training with these people, learning them and bonding with them. Following those voices has always led to their good.
When it comes to the Christian life, Jesus describes our relationship with Him in a similar way in John 10.
“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” — John 10:3-5
Believers are sheep, not dogs, in this passage, and Jesus is the Good Shepherd. When Jesus speaks, we listen and obey, because we trust Him fully. We know His voice intimately, because we have spent hours with Him. We’ve read His infallible Word, we’ve spent countless hours with Him in prayer, we’ve sought to spend time with other believers who encourage us on toward greater Christlikeness.
When Jesus speaks, we know it is for our good, even if it hurts. Like the dogs in the National Dog Show who obey their trainers to succeed in competition, we obey our Heavenly Father, who has promised to sustain His people until the end.
God cares for you, more than you could ever imagine, and His desire is for your holiness. But how will you follow His true and right and good way if your mind is full of “voices” that distract and impede and confuse? Is it movies, songs or podcasts? Instagram pages or Tiktok videos? None of those voices are God’s. Those voices don’t desire your ultimate good. Run away from them.
And then listen to Jesus’ voice in Scripture, and get to know your Lord and Savior more today.
— Kevin Mercer
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