On the outskirts of Bethlehem, a grass-covered field lays as an emerald gem against the backdrop of dusty, dry desert. It’s known as the Shepherd’s Field. Multiple shepherds bring their flocks to graze and lie down upon the tender grass.
In the Shepherd’s Field, Each Sheep Knows His Shepherd’s Voice
As the sun begins to inch towards the horizon at the closing of the day, each shepherd calls to his sheep. To the observer, there is a cacophony of voices traveling across the hillside. But to the sheep, they hear one voice — the voice of their own shepherd. The other voices are mere noise. The voice of their shepherd rises above the din, and they follow him back home.
Isn’t that powerful?
The imagery melts my heart.
As I seek to know God’s will and to follow my Shepherd closely, I can press into the image of the Shepherd’s Field and find understanding. The sheep do not question which voice is their shepherd’s. They know him. They depend on him. They experience a heart connection with him.
Therefore, they ignore the other voices.
That’s it in a nutshell, isn’t it?
I can remember as a young mother leaving my babies in the church nursery, especially my youngest. Separation anxiety for both of us was high, but especially for my baby girl. Without a doubt, many tears would fall as I left the room.
But you know what? I would occasionally slip back down to the nursery hallway and listen at the nursery door to make sure my baby girl was okay. There could be several babies crying at once, but I could always determine if Nancy was one of them.
I Knew My Baby’s Voice. We had a Heart Connection
I knew her voice and could pick it out of a group of crying babies just by listening. OR I could listen and tell that she was quiet and content and not the one crying. I knew my baby’s voice.
Our heart connection amplified the sound.
That’s the way it is with Jesus.
Jesus said, “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” ~ John 10:3-5, NLT
A heart connection …
If I have a heart connection with Jesus — and I do — then I can trust that I will recognize His voice above the din. I can trust that He will make His voice known to me because He is not a god of confusion but a God of peace.
The enemy is the one that causes us to question whether or not we are hearing the Lord’s instruction as we seek His will. We can be sure the Lord will make His voice known to us. He will confirm His spoken word through His written Word.
A heart connection clarifies the hearing of His voice.
Plain and simple.
A Heart Connection with Jesus is Precious
I picture myself lying down in a green pasture — my very own Shepherd’s field — when the Lord says, Come, Nan, and follow me. I turn towards His voice, loud and clear above the din of other noisy voices in my head, and rise. Placing my foot in each of His footprints, I follow. I trust. I depend.
And I obey.
Selah
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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down, and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.
Sweet blessings to you,
What lovely encouragement. Thanks❣️
Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate it. Sweet blessings to you, Nan