Spiritual Distractions, and Lessons from the Sheep

This morning in Sunday School, our class was going through the first part of John 10. I was very blessed by the spiritual insights that Jesus gave us through the behavior of sheep. However, one point that our teacher made especially impacted me. He was explaining verses 4-5, which say, "And when he [the shepherd] putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." Our teacher told the class that, to the sheep, the strangers are essentially "background noise." They are something that is clamoring for the attention of the sheep, but it is not given because the sheep are so attuned to the voice of their master that they will only follow him.

Such a level of trust on the part of the sheep is amazing, but this relationship is possible only through the following aspects:

• The sheep have spent large amounts of time with the shepherd, and have come to have an implicit trust in his leadership, because he always leads for their good.
• The sheep have listened many times to the voice of the shepherd. In fact, they are so familiar with the voice of the shepherd that they instantly recognize it from the voices of others. 
•  Because the sheep implicitly trust the shepherd, they will follow him wherever he leads them.
• Notice what verse 4 says about the shepherd: "he goeth before them [the sheep]." The shepherd will not take the sheep anywhere that he is not willing to take himself.

I was so blessed when I finally came to understand these truths. So often in life, I find myself questioning my life decisions. Is this where God wants me, or should I be doing something else? Is this right, or is it wrong? The answer lies in the response of the sheep to the shepherd. Our spiritual Shepherd is Christ (see John 10:11), and He will never lead us anywhere that He Himself would not go. Hebrews 13:5b tells us, "I [God] will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Furthermore, He always leads His sheep in places that are for their benefit (see Romans 8:28).

How is this relationship accomplished? It occurs when His sheep (believers) spend time with Him, and learn to hear for His voice. God speaks through His word (II Peter 1:20-21) and through His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:17). We learn to recognize His voice when we spend time with Him praying, reading His word, and waiting on Him.

I want to be like that sheep. I want to implicitly and blindly follow the voice of Christ wherever He may lead me. I want to know His voice so well that I can identify it in the middle of a thousand other voices seeking to lead me astray. I encourage you, fellow believers, to pursue the same thing. Don't be discouraged when your Bible reading and prayer time seem worthless. Through these exercises, you are learning to discern the voice of your Shepherd! If you hear his voice leading you through a difficult place, follow Him in trust. After all, He's already been there, so it must be safe for you to be there too. I encourage you to hear your Master, and follow Him alone!