“The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won’t follow a stranger’s voice but will scatter because they aren’t used to the sound of it.” (John 10-The Message version)
I’ve been thinking about this scripture as it relates not just to me and my walk, or our walk as Christians; but how it relates to the World Race. The scripture specifically says “leads them out”, so let’s break this down.
I really love it when the Lord uses parables and stories to relate to us; to speak a language we understand. As I read this I began to wonder about the true behavior of a real sheep. I wanted to put this scripture in perspective, so I did a little digging!
Here’s what I found (taken from http://www.sheep101.info/201/behavior.html) : “Sheep are best known for their strong flocking (herding) and following instinct. They will run from what frightens them and band together in large groups for protection. This is the only protection they have from predators. There is safety in numbers.”
It goes on to say, “When one sheep moves, the rest will follow, even if it is not a good idea. Even from birth, lambs are taught to follow the older members of the flock. Ewes encourage their lambs to follow. The dominant members of the flock usually lead, followed by the submissive ones. If there is a ram in the flock, he usually leads.”
“Sheep are a very social animal. In a grazing situation, they need to see other sheep. In fact, ensuring that sheep always have visual contact with other sheep will prevent excess stress when moving or handling them.”
I found all of this super intriguing. Jesus calls us sheep and as we talked about in this scripture above He calls us by name and leads us OUT! What exactly are we being led away from? If I had to guess based on just these quotes above, I’d say comfort and safety!
I know for myself the idea of being pulled away from everything familiar my family, my friends, my daily routine, is uncomfortable. It can even be scary at times. (This is sheep needing to see other sheep.)
So this thing called the World Race. It’s the Shepherd, calling His sheep and leading them out. Maybe you’re hearing His voice. Maybe you’re being led out. Maybe it’s not to the World Race, but whatever it is, embrace it. Trust the voice and try not to stick with the crowd. It will feel safer but Shepherd knows better than the other sheep.
