"Come, Sheep!"

That is how Dad called his little flock of Lincoln-Finn sheep (who were our lawn-mowers when we moved out into the country 35 years ago). Some of my earliest memories involve our huge ewes and bouncy lambs.

I would love to have a recording of my girl-voice trying to mimic Dad's sheep-call when I was feeding them or just wanted to gather my wooly friends for a visit. No wonder I turned out to sing alto - as I did always did my best to mimic Dad's baritone call with extra stress on the second word:

"Come, SHEEP!"

For some reason, the sheep weren't fooled. I had to shake a bucket of corn if I really wanted them to come running. Why? They didn't know or trust my voice in the same way as that of their main shepherd.

This came to mind again when reading John 10:

"He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep... 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."

Jesus goes on to say, " I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me... and I lay down my life for the sheep."

How can we know His voice and not be fooled by counterfeits or dangerous enemies?

His words are in the Bible. Let's learn to know His voice better each day so we can follow the Good Shepherd!