I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep and my sheep know Me.
John 10:14
The relationship stands as the reason that sheep hear the voice of the shepherd and respond. “I know my sheep, and my sheep know me.”
We crave divine guidance, but I fear we do so episodically. Our need for clarity in the moment does not define the total picture of divine guidance, for there is something much more sacred involved. Now, most assuredly, we must pray with intensity in moments where confusion overrides the experience of clarity. However, such intermittent pursuits of guidance fall woefully short of what Jesus has defined in the shepherd-sheep relationship.
Earlier, Jesus illustrated this relationship from the third person, “they recognize His voice” (John 10:4). Jesus then identified Himself as the good Shepherd and gave the reason His sheep follow Him: “My sheep know me” (John 10:14). How amazing would our journey of faith become if our perspective moved from occasional needs for divine guidance to actually living daily in divine guidance through truly knowing the good Shepherd? This becomes a prophetic theme as we consider how Isaiah marveled that “an ox knows its owner. . . but Israel does not know, and my people do not understand” (Isaiah 1:3). Jeremiah furthered this theme when declaring that, “the stork in the sky knows her seasons . . . but my people do not know the ordinances of the Lord” (Jeremiah 8:7). The emphasis is clear. There is no agreement in the Scriptures to one saying they are of God, and yet not truly knowing God relationally. And there is no agreement to one saying that they are of Jesus and not living relationally in communion with Him. This incongruency is well noted in the Scriptures. We are His sheep. And the given is that we are in such a close relationship with the Shepherd that we truly know Him and recognize His voice.
So, from this Biblical reality comes three conclusions for you today. First, through His grace and mercy, God has given us salvation. We have communion with the Father and the Son. Jesus defined the communion when He declared, “As the father loves me so I have loved you . . . remain in My love” (John 15:10). Second, this communion becomes the only context whereby we can have ongoing communication with the Father and the Son. Such communication goes beyond structured prayer (although involving prayer as a foremost priority) to the actual spiritual reality of daily walking in complete fellowship with God through surrender to Jesus and to the Holy Spirit who resides in us. Romans 8:27 reminds us that “the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Third, those who have been “reborn” of Christ can learn to hear God speak into our human experiences, and we can thus confidently interact. Our growing in “the knowing” makes definite “our hearing.” And, in this way we are not simply seeking guidance, but are walking in this guidance every day. And, when God needs to speak something direct, and when our needs call for clarity from within the impasses of life, we are prepared, for our hearts are already listening to His voice.
So, as much as we desire to “know what God has to say” about this or that, and as much as we readily admit our need for divine guidance in the great matters of life, we must learn to hear the shepherd’s voice. We must learn to hear God speak. And, in so doing, we will know when He is speaking. In this way, we will not become trapped in our ideas, decisions, words and thoughts being passed off as His.
Today, at this moment, recommit to knowing your Good Shepherd. If you think that because you already know Him you can satisfactorily checked this off as “done,” then you have completely missed what Jesus meant when He said, “I know my own, and they know me.” If you know Him as Shepherd, are you daily following and listening to Him as dependently as sheep?
Blessings.
