Who Was That?

 I’ve worked in the customer service field for a long time.  After speaking with a regular customer only a couple of times, I rarely have to introduce myself.  When I do, the large majority of them will say something like, “I know it’s you Robin” or they will say, “Oh, hi Robin” before I ever get the chance to tell them it is me. 

One customer even told me they would recognize me anywhere.  I guess I have an easily recognizable voice. I know the Southern drawl is there.  I do not even try to deny that.  LOL.

It goes the other way too.  I have a few customers whose voice I recognize very easily.  Others have to tell me who they are.  It is all part of it when a large part of your work is conducted over the telephone. 

In our spiritual life, there is only one voice we should hear.  That is the Good Shepherd’s voice – Jesus Christ, our Savior.  The concept is beautifully described by Jesus Himself in John chapter 10:3-5 “To him the gatekeeper opens.  The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.  A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

I find this such a beautiful and comforting passage.  Notice in this passage the Good Shepherd calls all his own sheep by name.  Jesus knows our name.  He is the Son of God, so He knows us all. 

But do we allow Him to lead us out?  Do we hear his voice and follow Him? Do we flee from the stranger – or are we led away from the Shepherd?  If we know his voice, we do not allow ourselves to be pulled away by a stranger. 

Whose voice do we know?  Hopefully, we know only the Good Shepherd’s voice.  Hopefully, we follow only Him.  We should never follow after man.  It should always be Christ.  His is the voice we need to hear.  Flee from the stranger.  He (the stranger) will do everything he can to fool us and get us to follow him instead of Jesus. 

In verses 17 and 18 Jesus says as the Good Shepherd He lays down His life for the sheep.  He makes it clear that no one takes His life from Him.  No man has that power.  Instead, Jesus laid down His life willingly.  He is the One who has authority over His life – not man. 

The other interesting thing about these verses is that Jesus says He will lay down His life and take it up again.  Man does not take the life of Christ.  He gives it…. Willingly.  Then our precious Savior delivers a major blow against that old devil because He conquers death and takes up His life again!  How marvelous is that?  Jesus rose from the grave!!

The question is do we know Who He is?  Do we hear His voice and follow Him?  No one makes that choice for us.  We decide. 

I hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday. 

Christ above all things - Robin