Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread. I'm Wyn Collier, and I'm reading today a piece

that I wrote called Knowing the Shepherd's Voice. When I was a boy living on a ranch in Tennessee,

I spent glorious afternoons roaming with my best friend.

We'd hike into the woods, ride ponies, visit the rodeo arena, and venture into the barn to watch the cowboys work the horses.

But whenever I heard my dad's whistle,

that clear sound slicing through the wind and all the other clatter,

I'd immediately drop whatever I was doing and head home.

The signal was unmistakable,

and I knew I was being called by my father.

Decades later, I'd still recognize that whistle. In John 10, Jesus told his disciples that he was the shepherd, and his followers were the sheep.

The sheep listened to the shepherd's voice, he said. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

In a time when numerous leaders and teachers sought to confuse Christ's disciples by

asserting their authority, he declared that his loving voice could still be heard clearly,

more distinct than all the others.

We're told in verse four that his sheep follow the shepherd because they know his voice.

May we be careful as we listen for Jesus' voice and avoid foolishly dismissing it, for the

fundamental truth remains.

The shepherd speaks clearly, and his sheep hear his voice.

Perhaps through a verse of scripture, the words of a believing friend, or the nudge of the

spirit.

Jesus speaks, and we do here.

Today's our daily bread devotional scripture reading is from John chapter 10,

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