Do You Hear That?

“And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.” John 10:4

If you’ve been keeping up with my posts, you’ll know I’ve been going through a lot of roller coaster moments in the last couple years or so. You can go backward and read my posts; I don’t want to waste time rehashing the valley today.  

Instead, I want to talk about my company while in the valley. The valleys are dark, lonely, uncertain and downright scary at times. That’s where I’ve been, friend. There have been times when this has been difficult for me to admit.  It’s amazing what we can learn in the valley though. 

What a glorious confidence it is to know when we’re “put forth”, God, our Shepherd, goes before us. It’s hard to remember this when we feel like we’re walking alone through the darkness; however, I suppose with growth and spiritual maturity we learn important lessons like such. That’s the importance of valley experiences. 

No matter what we face, God has gone before us. He knows what is just ahead and is never caught by surprise by what might be just around the corner. When we’re bewildered and running scared in the darkness, we may wonder where He is or if He’s aware of our situations. The truth is, He is always there and He knows every detail. The answer for us is in the next part of the verse: “...and the sheep follow him...” 

During any struggle, it’s important to keep following and be convinced of what we know about God, even when it doesn’t feel quite right. I’ve been learning this during this season. My feelings can often override the truth I KNOW when I find myself in a weakened state. If we can somehow just muster up the strength to follow. 

The last part of this verse is so reassuring and maybe this is a different take on how we usually interpret this verse, but I think it can be applied:

 “...for they know his voice.” 

It’s during our darkest nights, when we’re lost,  our hearts are bleeding, and our perspective is altered that we can lose our grip and even our strength to follow. Maybe we find ourselves totally distanced from everything we thought we knew to be true.  If we can only come to our senses long enough to simply listen, we’ll always hear His gentle call. The shepherd will always leave the ninety-nine to rescue His one lost, wounded sheep. What hope!

So, if you are there now or might find yourself there in the future, I hope you’ll remember to listen. I hope to also! We know His voice no matter how long it’s been since we were last close enough to hear it clearly. 

Hey! Do you hear that? 

Yes! It’s the voice of our loving shepherd.  

He is close to the broken-hearted, is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and is acquainted with grief. He  knows disappointment, betrayal, and the ridicule this life can bring.  He has experienced it all. 

All we have to do is...

Wait, do you hear that? 

It’s Jesus calling! Simply respond, He is near. 

*Happy Easter to everyone! Because He lives, we CAN face tomorrow...with Him.