Are you listening to the right voice?

My dysfunctional rescue mutt, Toby, can’t be trusted off-leash. He’s gotten loose a few times over the last ten years and disappears faster than biscuits at a men’s prayer breakfast.

So, a recent event has me thinking deep thoughts.

I was sitting in my truck in the driveway while finishing a phone conversation. My truck door was open, and I looked down. What did I see? Toby walking up to my door. I barely avoided a minor panic attack because it was dark, and this small, fast dog would be a bear to find at night.

I calmly climbed out of my truck and reached down, fully expecting him to scamper off after a rabbit. Instead, he came directly to me. I scooped him up and took him inside to safety.

Toby got outside because the garage door and the door leading to the kitchen were open. I think he heard my voice and came searching for me.

They Know His Voice

It’s as Jesus said in John 10:1–5,

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 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 10:1–5, NLT).

Sheep know their shepherd’s voice. The shepherd has spent hours, days, weeks, and months talking with and protecting his sheep. His voice is distinctive from other shepherds, and the sheep trust it. The shepherd has a “unique tone or way of calling their sheep, and the sheep become attuned to this specific voice” (Chelsea Vaughn, myaustralianshepherd.net, 2023).

We have many voices vying for our attention today. Some voices promise worldly prizes, such as wealth, fame, and happiness, and some even promise Heaven, but there is only one voice that leads to true salvation: Jesus.

How Can We Know the Voice of Jesus?

Like sheep, we can only know the voice of our Shepherd if we spend time with Him and know His words.

Jesus is the Word, and His words are recorded in the Bible. In fact, every word in the Bible, including the Old Testament, points to Jesus.

We can discern between the competing voices in our world by reading the Word every day. The more we read the Word and hear His voice, the better we can detect the lies, much like how a Treasury agent spots counterfeit money by being an expert on the real thing.

“This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Video on How Sheep Recognize the Voice of Their Shepherd

Here’s a cool video on how sheep know their shepherd’s voice.

Jesus Said That He Is the Only Way

“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:7–9, NKJV)

It’s life and death to recognize the true voice of Jesus. Many false teachers try to lead us astray, telling us that Jesus is a way to Heaven, but not the only way. This ideology is called Universalism, and Jesus didn’t teach it.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:13–14:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13–14, NKJV).

Jesus spoke in plain language for people who don’t understand metaphors.

Jesus said,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6, NKJV).

“No one” slams the door on any other way to Heaven. Jesus is the only way.

Wrapping It Up

My dog, Toby, knows my voice because we’ve spent countless hours together over the past decade. We take long walks. He sits in my office all day while I’m working and reclines with me in the evenings. He also trusts me because I’ve only been good to him.

Jesus is worth knowing this well, and it’s imperative we know His voice to avoid being misled by false voices in our world today.

And we can trust Him.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14–15, NLT)

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