March 7

When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not recognize his voice. — John 10:4-5 BSB

In the East, sheep know their shepherd’s voice and will come when he calls them by name. But if a stranger calls them, even using the same names, they become alarmed and flee. This is how it should be with Christ’s followers. They should recognize His voice immediately, even when He calls in times of sorrow or trial, and never fear His call. But they should also be quick to detect voices that aren’t His.

There are many voices that try to lead Christ’s followers astray, luring them away from the truth and into dangerous paths that end in sin and death. There are false guides who claim to know more than the true shepherds Christ has appointed, trying to draw people away from the old, trusted ways. The true sheep run from these unfamiliar voices, knowing they don’t belong to their Shepherd. Every voice that isn’t Christ’s should cause the Christian to seek refuge in the Good Shepherd’s care.