Many times Jesus spoke in story format to describe God’s kingdom and His relationship with people. In John 10 Jesus uses a picture of sheep to illuminate His relationship with His people. He said, “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.”
In this account, Jesus is the Shepherd and His disciples are the sheep. Jesus knows each of His disciples intimately and calls them by name. He goes before them to protect them and lead them in the way that they should go. The disciples know His voice and follow Him.
If you do not hear God’s voice, perhaps you have not drawn close to God and followed Him where He leads. We must stay close to the Shepherd in order to hear Him. We must diligently follow Him to not cut off our ability to hear Him. Wayward sheep become lost with no means of returning to the Shepherd without the saving intervention of the Shepherd.
Reluctant Retiree 