Scripture to Read: John 10:3–5
Jesus said in John 10:3–5, “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” When Jesus taught this to His followers, it was common for sheep from many flocks to be kept in a common sheepfold for the night. This sheepfold was overseen by one doorkeeper who oversaw which shepherds brought sheep in and which shepherds took sheep out. Interestingly, each shepherd knew each of their sheep by name. I saw this firsthand several years ago. A friend of mine owns sheep and he’s named each one of them. When I visited him, he showed me what would happen if he called his sheep to come to him. He would call each one by name, and the ones he called would come to him. When I tried to call them, they would not respond to my voice, no matter how hard I tried. The sheep knew my friend's voice but not mine. As followers of Christ, we must make sure we’re listening to shepherds who are called by God and who follow Him and His Word wholeheartedly. These shepherds are the only ones who will shepherd us well and be good stewards of what God has called them to do (1 Peter 5:1–4).
Challenge & Application
• Why is it important for us to be careful who we choose to listen to and speak into our lives?
• How do we find the right shepherd to follow so that we hear and learn God’s Truth, not just opinions and stories?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!