Monday after Rogate
Scripture: St. John 10:1-5 (NKJV)
10:1 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Devotion
“And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”
Sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd. It is a simple analogy, really. We who belong to the Lord will recognize
His voice when we hear it. We will know it because we are familiar with it. At some banks part of their training for new bank tellers is to put them in a room for a whole day with nothing but real money. They count it, and feel the ridges on the presidents’ coats. They smell it. They tear it. They rub it on white paper, which it smudges, because the ink never dries. They see the fibers and the watermarks. This is counterfeit recognition training. The theory is, if they get familiar enough with real money, they will recognize it; something won’t feel right when they encounter a fake.
This is how we should be with the voice of our Shepherd. We ought to familiarize ourselves with His voice, with the words and teachings of Holy Scripture, that we can faithfully test the spirits, avoid lying hirelings, and support faithful servants of our Lord. God grant us to know the saving truth of Jesus’ words so that nothing can lead us astray.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, grant me ever to grow in my knowledge and understanding of Your Holy Word, that Your Holy Spirit would keep me in the one true faith in Jesus. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
