Listening

"he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." (John 10:2-5 NKJ)

What's in a name? It is an individual's personal identifier. It differentiates each of us from all the rest of us. Even if there are multiple people with the same name, each of them is an individual who God knows by name. And, unlike us, he never confuses faces or names.

In the southern US, we have a tradition of calling each other by our second names, if we have one. Of course, some people have only one name and others have only initials. Yet, the real issue is that each of us can hear our names called, if we are listening. The key is listening, instead of merely hearing.

As I read the Lord's words, I think about what's truly important. Do I personally recognize him? As a sheep, am I listening to his voice? And as the world turns, there are many voices that can be heard. Has a stranger caught my attention? The Lord's words are not rigid proclamations, but general points of understanding. The onus is on the sheep to listen and to hear correctly. If I am his sheep, then I will not be led astray by a stranger's voice, because I have a relationship with the Shepherd.

And where he leads, I will follow. He knows me and I know him. And this mutual knowledge enables me to run from strangers because I don't know them or their voices. My first clue to a stranger is that he doesn't know me by name.

Dear Father, thank you for sending a shepherd who knows me by name. Empower me to follow his leading in all things. I pray this in the name of Jesus. AMEN

Listen to the Shepherd today,