When he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. – John 10:4
A few years ago a traveler went to Syria. There, he watched three shepherds bring their flocks to the waterfront for a drink. All the sheep intermingled, and the traveler couldn’t tell which sheep belonged to what shepherd. However, the three shepherds were unconcerned. They stood back and visited. Soon one of the shepherds stood up and called, “Follow me!” in Arabic. Suddenly various sheep wandered out. The shepherd didn’t even count them. He just started walking and all his sheep followed him. After a while, another shepherd got up and shouted, “Follow me!” His sheep separated themselves from the others and followed him.
The traveler walked up to the last shepherd and said, “Do your sheep always follow you? Let me have your turban and staff and your robe. Let me call them.” So the shepherd gave the traveler his equipment. The traveler called, “Follow me!” but the sheep didn’t even move. They acted as if they were deaf. He asked the shepherd, “Do they follow you and only you?” The shepherd replied, “Not always. A sheep that is sick will follow anybody.”
Jesus told His followers, “He that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep…the sheep follow him: for they know his voice…. I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:2,4,14). If we are healthy Christians, we will recognize the voice of Jesus. He will guide us as we make decisions and help us through the tough places in life. We can enhance our familiarity with the Lord’s voice by spending time in His presence and then heeding what He tells us.
We want to be ready to quickly arise and obey when the Shepherd says, “Follow me!”