August 8, 2015: SOAP #2074:

Scripture: John (NIV) 10:3 The watchman opens the gate for him [the shepherd] and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

Observation: Jesus is teaching his followers, here referred to as sheep, about his position as their shepherd. In these three verses we see the importance of the sheep knowing the voice of their shepherd. They follow him because they know his voice.

People who spend daily time reading God’s Word are training themselves to recognize His voice. The more they know God’s Word, the better they will recognize the voice of The Good Shepherd and the more they will realize from which voices they should flee.

Application: When I hear something that seems questionable, I do not ask myself, “To which college did they go?” or “How long have they been preaching?” or “Will God really give me a thousand dollars if I send this ministry one hundred dollars?” NO! I ask myself, “Is that the voice of my shepherd talking?” I ask myself, “Is that what my shepherd would tell me to do?”

Prayer: Holy Spirit, there has never been a day on earth when a nation had more Bibles on the shelves of their homes than in the homes of the United States today. May they be read and valued more than ever before in history. Help us understand what we read so we can better recognize the voice of The Good Shepherd. Amen