“When he would bring out all his own sheep, he goes in front of them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice, and they will not follow a stranger but they will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of the strangers.”
(John 10:4-5 One New Man Bible)
When we were growing up as children most of us were always reminded by our parents of all the dangers that lurked outside the safety of our homes. After several hours of playing and the dusk starts illuminating across the horizon each child can hear that familiar voice calling for them from their perspective homes and none of them ever ran into the wrong house. One of the things children are taught now if someone that they don’t know or not familiar with tries to speak to them and seem to impose a danger or try to lure them off to follow them, they are to scream as loud as they can “Stranger Danger!!”
In the parable that Jesus gave of the shepherd and the sheep He again reminds us of the dangers of following a stranger. Our safety is in knowing His voice so that when He enters the door He is the Shepherd and not the thief or a robber. In order to know the voice of the Lord we have to spend time with Him in prayer and in the Word. We have to get to know Him intimately which only comes by spending time with Him. Jesus said that He was also going to have sheep that was not of this sheepfold (non-Jewish believers) and he was going to lead them and they would hear His voice and become one flock. (John 10:16) So it doesn’t matter what nationality we are Jewish, Black, Caucasian, Asian or European we can all hear the same voice of our Lord and Savior to follow Him and not the thief that wants to come and kill, steal and destroy our abundant life that Jesus gives us. We are now living in the time of the soon return of the Lord and we can’t afford to be spiritually deaf. The bible lets us know that in these last days there will be false prophets and teachers among us who will bring destruction and many will follow them because their voices are crying out to the sheep feeding the lust of the flesh. Those sheep no longer want to follow the voice of the One who will lead them to graze in the pasture that will feed their soul. (2Peter 2:2-3)
I’m reminded of hearing about an occasion that Dr. Charles Stanley mentioned of having an opportunity of seeing two shepherds with flocks who had come together to talk while their sheep were grazing. He stated all the sheep had mingled together as one flock. He wasn’t sure how each shepherd was going to be able recognize their sheep when it was time for them to leave. When the two shepherds had finished talking and separated with one going one way and the other shepherd going in the opposite direction they both cried out something with their voice and the sheep began to dispersed and each sheep followed their own shepherd. The sheep didn’t follow the wrong shepherd even though both were giving their call because they were familiar with the voice of their own shepherd. What an awesome illustration of what Jesus spoke to us about knowing His voice and not becoming confused by the voice of a stranger.
So as that glorious day is quickly approaching for our Great Shepherd who is coming as King and He gives that “shout” with His voice from the clouds, will you hear and recognize it and be ready to be caught up with Him or will you think it’s “stranger danger?”
1 Comment