John 10:26-27 “But you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Ah, the little matter, the huge issue, of who we belong to. This is not a comfortable thing to talk about, because when someone who does belong to Jesus starts talking about it, he is immediately accused of being proud, exclusive, and hateful. Actually, nothing could be further from the case. Jesus said His sheep follow Him, as in, follow in His footsteps. How did Jesus live? He welcomed the outcasts, and a major complaint against Him was that He was “a friend to sinners.” It was the self-righteous who declined to be part of His flock. We are not to exclude people from our side, but we have to recognize that some will not choose to be part of our flock. It’s important to note that where the NIV says, “you are not my sheep,” the Japanese says, “you do not belong to my sheep,” as in belonging to an organization. Since God created us, we all belong to Him; the question is whether we are part of His flock. I recently saw a video of a man who has a herd of deer, literally. As the video starts, one buck is up close to his porch, as if seeking him out. He speaks to the buck, saying something about “breakfast time,” and then lifts his voice and calls. Immediately over 20 deer materialize out of the snowy woods and come onto his porch, eager to be fed. They know his voice. If I had been the one calling, I doubt they would have come! These are wild deer; they are no more his legal possession than all the other deer in the woods. However, they have come to trust him, and have learned his voice. We are all God’s legal possession from the standpoint of creation. What distinguishes one from another is learning to trust Him, to listen to His voice. What He offers is far more valuable than whatever that man feeds those deer, but we have to trust to receive. In our world there are many voices, so it is of the greatest importance to become as familiar as possible with His voice, to distinguish it from all the others. That’s a major reason why reading the Bible is so important: He is not going to contradict what He has already said. If we are to enjoy the overflowing blessings that He has prepared for us, we need to listen in trusting obedience.

This is as true for me as it is for anyone. I’ve had a lot of practice in listening, but I wish I could say I’ve always been obedient! Part of my task is to invite other sheep to join the flock, as well as relay what I hear the Shepherd saying, when they miss it. My voice is not what’s important, His is, and I must be faithful to relay things undistorted. My goal must always be for each sheep to hear the Shepherd directly, to avoid miscommunication. I’m all too prone to say it wrong! However, the rewards are certainly worth it, for everyone involved.

Lord Jesus, thank You for making me Your sheep/under shepherd. Help me remember at all times that I am a sheep too, and rejoice to follow You. May Your flock multiply indeed, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!