My Sheep Hear My Voice
Pastors Leslie & Adeline Chua
“To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”
In the Ancient Near East, it was common for several flocks of sheep to share a common sheepfold. In the night, the shepherds would leave their sheep in the sheepfold in the care of a gatekeeper.
An interesting thing happened in the morning. The shepherds would call out to their sheep. Though they had intermingled in the night, the sheep recognized the voices of their own shepherds. When they came out of the sheepfold through the gate, the sheep would separate and follow their own shepherds.
Sheep are known to be stupid animals, but they know the voice of their shepherds. They will not follow the voice of strangers.
Jesus used this imagery to illustrate His relationship with His disciples. Many people wanted to follow Him, but He knew that few would obey Him.
In John chapter 10, Jesus is pictured as the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep. However, do we know His voice? Do we recognize His voice when He speaks? Do we obey Him?
Hearing the Voice of God
Many Christians struggle to hear the voice of God. One of the commonest questions from believers nowadays is how to hear God’s voice, or how to know the will of God.
The answer is simple. Tune in to God’s voice, just as sheep tune in to the voice of their shepherds.
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Meditating on the Word of God also renews your mind and shapes the way you think. You become conformed to the biblical perspective.
You will view the world through the biblical lens and filter ideas through the biblical worldview.
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Start with the basics. Read the Bible. The Bible is the Word of God. It is the voice of God in printed form. Read it. Meditate on it. To meditate is to take time to ponder on the words and to consider their meaning. In doing so, you are allowing yourself to be soaked in the Word of God. By and by, you become accustomed to how God speaks and His tone in different circumstances.
It is helpful to talk to God while you are meditating. Ask Him questions. Ask Him to reveal insights into His Word. Ask Him to speak to you. In this way, you learn to hear and know His voice.
Meditating on the Word of God also renews your mind and shapes the way you think. You become conformed to the biblical perspective. You will view the world through the biblical lens and filter ideas through the biblical worldview.
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If you want to hear the voice of God and know His will, get to know the Bible. Immerse yourself in it. There is no other way and there is no shortcut. It takes discipline and time. But it is worth your effort.
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With the grounding in the Word of God, you will be better positioned to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to you through other avenues such as an inner prompting in your spirit, impression, dream, and vision. The Word of God provides the foundation to discern between the voice of our Good Shepherd and other voices.
It is no different from a guitarist learning to tune his guitar, He starts with a tuning fork. But when he becomes accustomed to various keys, he will be able to tune his guitar just by listening.
If you want to hear the voice of God and know His will, get to know the Bible. Immerse yourself in it. There is no other way and there is no shortcut. It takes discipline and time. But it is worth your effort.
Obeying the Voice of God
Jesus said that “he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (John 10:6).
Recognising Jesus’ voice is important. It is even more important to heed and obey it. To hear and not to follow is counterproductive.
Sometimes, for various reasons, sheep stray from the flock and get lost. Lost sheep are vulnerable because they are incapable of taking care of themselves and they are defenceless against predators.
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Recognising Jesus’ voice is important. It is even more important to heed and obey it. To hear and not to follow is counterproductive.
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We also can be vulnerable. The devil is always prowling around like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). The Good Shepherd warned against thieves and strangers. They come “to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10).
Many Christians do not live the abundant life, which Jesus has promised, because they fail to hear His voice and follow Him. By not obeying, they unwittingly allow the enemies of their souls to derail them from God’s best for their lives.
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We obey God for our own sake.
Obedience opens the door to God’s abundant blessings for our lives.
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Obedience to God is a necessary discipleship criterion. Unfortunately, it is no longer taken seriously. Christians nowadays obey selectively without feeling guilty.
Granted, obedience is not always easy. But it is not negotiable.
We obey God for our own sake. Obedience opens the door to God’s abundant blessings for our lives.
Consider Psalm 23.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
This is a beautiful imagery of Christ, our Good Shepherd, and the blessing of the abundant life. The psalmist, David, said, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” There is no lack in the LORD. David experienced peace, restoration, strength, comfort, security, provision, goodness, mercy, and care. These are the blessings for those who would hear and obey Jesus.