John 10:27
New International Version
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I am from Ohio. I’ve worked on both Amish and yankee sheep farms. The sheep were the same on any farm I have ever worked. They are blindly obedient. They know who’s boss and respond accordingly. They know they will always be fed, watered, and cared for.
I went into the Army young and saw the world. Sheep are one of the things that are the same no matter where you are. They are visible a million miles away. They are distinct. From far away, they almost glow because they are so white. As you approach them you will see that they need to be sheered, or are dirty, but from far away they all look like fluffy little clouds. They don’t run, nor panic. Not even when the barn is burning down around them. If the master doesn’t tell them to get out, they just stay and burn. They don’t care about who’s running the country that they live in, nor it’s politics, wars, or problems. They don’t feel greed, nor the need to compete. They eat, drink, and rest. Nothing more, no matter where they are, and no matter what is going on around them.
They are oblivious to everything except their master’s call. We should all be like sheep. Peaceful, quiet, attentive only to our task at hand, and to our Master’s voice. When the master speaks to the sheep they respond, INSTANTLY. They don’t pray about responding for a couple of weeks. They don’t have weekly meetings to discern what the master is really trying to tell them. They don’t ask the master again and again ‘are you sure?’ They simply respond to the master’s voice, because they know that it is for their own good.
I wish I had thought about this before and had tried to imitate sheep instead of other types of creatures. Every mistake I have ever made in my life is because I was listening to others instead of my Master. We need to be still before Him and listen to Him. People seem to think that it should be a long drawn out process to hear theMaster’s voice. It really isn’t. Stay in His Word. Stay in Prayer and do the next thing the Master puts in your heart to do, immediately. When the master calls the sheep they respond. They run. They turn. All at a command.
If you are a SHEEP, you will be more responsive to God’s voice.
S. Submerge yourself in the Lord, in His Word, in His fellowship. Submit to Him, you will know His will.
H. Heed His Word, immediately. Pray, ask God, and do it. A process of 5 minutes, not 5 years.
E. Evaluate what God is saying every step. Let God steer you. Be wise enough, and humble enough to admit if you misheard.
E. Expect God to direct you, to guide you.
P. Praise Him for His wisdom and His direction.
Dean Peters
