Greetings, brothers and sisters in Christ and children of God,

The last encouraging word I shared, if you recall, I wrote to you about a game called “Here Comes the Judge”. To play this game, the players must close their eyes, and one player stands behind them and says, “Here comes the judge”. The other players must guess who the judge is, but the “judge” disguises his or her voice. If a player guesses the person, they become the new judge. Of course, the best way to guess the person is to truly recognize the voice of the person despite how well they might disguise their voice. To truly recognize a voice, you must know the person really well. 

Jesus, while walking in the temple courts, spoke to the Jews there and said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27). Jesus, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), was referring to his followers as sheep. The people of that time understood the concept of a shepherd protecting and leading his flock of sheep, and therefore it was common for Jesus to reference his followers as sheep and claim himself as the Good Shepherd.

A shepherd knows his sheep and even names them. He cares for his flock by leading them to grazing areas and managing the pastures. He constructs temporary shelters in the field and ensures the overall health of the sheep. His duty as a shepherd is to protect the sheep from predators. It can be a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week job. Another duty of a shepherd is to lead and guide the flock by making decisions about movements and grazing. Shepherds have been known to guide their flocks to marketplaces and ensure they remained intact during migrations. Does this sound like anyone you know?

The Israelites understood the duties of a shepherd, and therefore it was easy for them to understand what Jesus was saying about being a Good Shepherd and caring for his flock. When a shepherd is with the flock for 24 hours, 7 days a week, and gives each sheep love, the flock begins to recognize the shepherd by his voice, much like a child begins to recognize the voice of his mother or father. 

Sheep have the ability to distinguish their shepherd’s voice from others, based on the tones and mannerisms of their shepherd. If another voice tries to call them, the sheep often will ignore the voice or even run, because it is not a voice they have come to know. Knowing the shepherd’s voice is crucial for the flock’s safety and survival.

We get to know Jesus through the Word that God has provided, and the more we learn the Word, the more we recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd. If we study the Word every day and trust in the Holy Spirit, we come to know the voice of the One who knows us. When we can recognize that voice, we can then ignore the voices that are not the Shepherd, even if those voices are disguised to lure us from the flock. The more we engage with Christ the more we know his voice.

Last week, the little lambs discovered the truth about Abraham and Sarah. Many people believe that what they read in the Bible is just stories, and this, to them, is just another story. However, with some investigating, the lambs found that the Jewish writings were not the only place that tells the story of Abraham. It is also found in the Islamic text, and there is archaeological confirmation, and, well, Jesus says Abraham is real. This week the detectives will answer the question, “How do you know God really answers prayers?”, as we dig deeper into Genesis and find a wife for Isaac.

I look forward to worshipping our Shepherd among the flock with songs of joy and praise, and dancing before Him who knows us. If for whatever reason I do not see you tomorrow, may the Lord bless you with peace, love, and joy, and may He guide you, comfort you, and heal you when you are in need.

God bless you,

Your brother in Christ

Michael (aka Mr. Michael)