“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” ‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I don’t know how he heard him.

It was in the middle of a packed arena for an NBA basketball game. There must have been 25,000 people packed in to watch the great Kobe Bryant compete. And I was one of them. The music was loud, and everyone was singing or cheering. Some fans were screaming at the officials. Some were screaming at individual players. And then I noticed something. Kobe’s head coach, Phil Jackson, spoke, and Kobe turned his head to listen.

Now, keep this in mind. They had to be 30 ft from each other. And did I mention it was loud? And Phil is rather soft-spoken, and I’m not sure I could have heard him if I were 3 ft from him. But Kobe did because a player knows his coach’s voice.

You’ve probably seen it on a playground.

You can be out there watching your kids play on the jungle gym and the swings. There can be 100 kids running around. But the moment you call your child’s name, they know. They may act like they didn’t hear you because they’re afraid you want them to leave the playground, but they hear you. A child knows his parents’ voice.

And Jesus says this is true for sheep.

“Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.” ‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” ‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” ‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” ‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I never really understood this until I went to Israel. Our guide took us out to a shepherd’s field, where we walked the field and then entered a small cave. He explained that there are many shepherds and flocks but only a few caves. When a storm comes, all the shepherds will get their sheep to shelter, often sharing a cave. The sheep become intermingled and almost indistinguishable. But when the storm is done, each shepherd calls their sheep. They all know their shepherd and leave the cave following his voice.

And John writes this down because it makes an impression on him. He now knows his Shepherd’s voice. And he will go where he leads.

You and I are called by our shepherd, Jesus. He calls us into the shelter. He calls us out of the darkness. He calls us towards green pastures and still waters. He is our shepherd, and we lack nothing.

Today’s prayer.
Jesus, may I hear your voice today.