Whenever my father walks through the door, he and Noelle, (my daughter), have a routine that warms my heart.
Initially, Noelle doesn’t see him. She is either playing or eating her tenth snack of the day (lol). All of a sudden, a high pitched “hey” will ring from my father’s voice as he hides around the corner out of sight. As soon as she hears this, she doesn’t hesitate or question where this greeting is coming from. She immediately responds. Like clockwork, she takes off running to the front door, full speed ahead looking for her grandpa. She runs with excitement, anticipation, and confidence knowing what will be awaiting her as she turns the corner. More importantly, she knows not by seeing, but by hearing his voice. I imagine her thought process is, “I know that sound! It’s my grandpa coming to see me”. My daughter knows her grandpa’s voice, and her assurance was birthed from the time they have spent together.
If this isn’t a Godly metaphor, then I don’t know what is!! Their relationship is a reflection of the relationship we can have with God. In John 10:27, Jesus is talking to the Jewish leaders and said, “My sheep listen to my voice, I know them and they follow me”. So if Jesus is my good Shepherd and I his sheep, it begs the question, “do I know His voice?”
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve had seasons of unadulterated distraction. Sometimes the voice of social media is louder than the voice of God in my life. Sometimes the voice of materialism draws me in. Sometimes the voice of this world tries to stray me away from my good shepherd. But the reality is, anything that I’m listening to besides the voice of God will only lead to emptiness and closer distruction.
By nature, sheep are defenseless against predators. They are also fearful and unwise. In order to survive, they need their shepherd. The shepherd spends time with them, defends them against predators, and..stands them upright if they fall on their side. During the day, the shepherd leads his sheep to food, water, and back to the sheepfold at night. In the morning when the shepherd returns for his sheep, he calls them to come out of the sheepfold and without hesitation, the sheep follow because they know it’s the voice of their shepherd.
As God’s children, we are defenseless and wayward without Jesus. We need His voice as a guide, and to stand upright. That is why it is so important to silence the noise of this world, and spend time with him. In that secret place is where we find peace, security, and the wisdom that this world could never offer us. Just like my daughter when she heard her grandpa’s voice, she knew that once she reached him, he would be there.
This is my encouragement to you, and myself. Make the conscious effort to spend time getting to know your good shepherd. Not only will you be able to confidently know his voice when he speaks, but you too will have the confidence to know he will always be there.
Jannetta Cox 