FOLLOW HIS VOICE

By Rick Mathes

John 10:4 (NASB77) ⁴ “When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

The sheep-pen is the Church and the Gate Keeper is the Holy Spirit. The Good Shepherd, of course, is none other than our Lord Jesus and we are His sheep. This parable is perfect to show our relationship to our new Master.

We follow Him because He knows His sheep and they know, trust and obey Him. They quickly respond to His calling. We are very close to each other in the person of Christ and the spirit of the Third Person of the Godhead. We, the sheep, love and follow Him wherever He goes.

The big difference between sheep and His elect is that sheep are herded from behind and His own, those that Father gave Him, are lead from the front. It’s a real family in every way.

Our Lord, our Good Shepherd talks to us through His Word s if He were talking to His own children. We respond with our prayers. How can anyone have a meaningful relationship unless they have a continuing conversation and progressive fellowship?

Our hearts beat with His because we owe our lives to Him. We were once lost and following only bad shepherds that crossed our path randomly as we wandered through Satan’s open fields riddled with land mines.

There isn’t any counterfeit satisfaction that is an improvement of the real thing. Only Jesus can fill that “God space” that is in us. Only Jesus can save us from ourselves and certain destruction. Only Jesus and His perfect Word will give us the fullness of His glory our souls agonize for.

He died for us. Let this sink in and never tire of searching the depth of this truth that He actually took our Hell upon Himself and died so that we might live in His resurrection power and glory. This alone unties us as one body, and one soul. Our hearts beat with His. We can return to our first nature if only we will  follow the Good Shepherd an leave the false shepherds far behind.