God is speaking to you. I firmly believe that as children of God, your Heavenly Father is speaking words of comfort, peace, love, and guidance. Do you hear His voice? Or is His voice drowned out by all the noise?

As we continue our study of the “I AM” statements in John’s gospel please take the time to read John 10:1-10.  Go ahead … this post will be here when you get back.  This is will be the first of three posts on this passage.

Jesus gives a figure of speech in verses 1-5 and the Pharisees didn’t get it. Verse 6 says simply they didn’t understand. So Jesus, in his grace, tells the story again from a different angle. This time with a bit more pointed language.

 In John’s gospel we’ve already heard Jesus say “I am the bread of life” and “I am the light of the world.” We’ve now heard him say, “I am the gate.”

Yet, before we get to that statement Jesus compares his disciples to sheep hearing the voice of the shepherd. He uses the image of a sheep pen. A sheep in the shepherd’s flock, in order to stay safe and well-fed, must listen to the shepherd’s voice. Likewise, a disciple of Jesus must hear and obey the voice of Jesus.

 How do you hear the shepherd’s voice?

I’m going to give you three answers and the answers should not surprise you. When you go to see the doctor he/she will tell you to eat healthy and exercise. It’s simply good advice. I offer you good advice.

Here’s three ways to hear the voice of the shepherd …

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Bible study
When? When will you do it? Sunday morning is not enough. You need to put in the time.

My tip: Pick a book of the Bible and get to know it. I recommend starting with a short book of the New Testament. Perhaps Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians or Colossians. You can read each of these from start to finish in 10 to 15 minutes. Read one. Study it. Meditate on it. Memorize verses. Live it out. Hear God speak to you through the pages of Scripture.

 

Prayer
When? When will you do it? Sunday morning is not enough. You need to put in the time.

My tip: Create a cheat sheet. Write down a few things you want to pray for everyday.   Wake up in the morning and lift these things to the Lord. Carry the cheat sheet with you through the day. When you have free moments … reach for the cheat sheet instead of the phone. Lift things up in prayer and allow God to provide peace, comfort, and answers to prayer.

 

Christian Community
The church is vital to hearing the Shepherd’s voice. You need people to both challenge and encourage you. One example from the pages of Scripture:

Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.   – Acts 18:24-26

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Bible study. Prayer. Christian community. Three ways for you to hear the shepherd’s voice.

Well, discuss the rest of this passage in future posts.