The sheep know the shepherd’s voice…

click here to read about how this series came to be. I speak in italics, and our Lord in bold print.

The sheep know the shepherd’s voice. Do you know what that means?

That you are the good shepherd, and those who are your sheep know and recognize and respond to your voice.

Yes. So to what extent is this allegory, and to what extent literal?

Shepherd and sheep are obvious allegory. But what about knowing your voice? Does this simply mean your Scripture, or your literal voice?

Yes 🙂 As your good friend would say, “et al”. I speak to my sheep, my followers, in many different ways, depending on the language of the individual. Some hear through the written word, some through song, some through prayer. Some hear my still small voice in the depths of their mind, some are able to actually feel what I feel in a particular moment or circumstance. Some hear in all of these and in other ways. The important thing is not the particular manner of hearing. What is important and distinctive about my sheep is that in their unique medium or mediums of hearing they can distinguish their Shepherd’s, their Father’s, voice, so very clearly from all the other voices that vie for their attention and obedience. To be one of my sheep is to know and distinguish the voice of the good Shepherd. This is the Lord.