Follow Me
In John 10:27 ESV, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
As is often the case throughout Scripture, God’s people are compared to sheep, with God being their shepherd. Jesus is sharing a well-known parable in John 10 about the good shepherd. Many powerful truths are contained in those verses.
This verse shows us that before we can follow Christ, we must learn to hear his voice and be known by God.
Following God obediently cannot be disconnected from abiding in God daily. Yes, we have a religious tradition and the scriptures as our guide, but God wants something more profound and personal than a routine. Of course, the scriptures are God-breathed, and I wouldn’t dare suggest we attempt living for God without them, but it is clear that following God begins with hearing God and knowing God.
So how do you hear God’s voice? Perhaps we skip over this idea because it is not tangible. Following God feels tangible. We can take action and do good works, but what about this ambiguous voice of God? Who is to say that God knows me or not?
Jesus said it best in John 3:8 ESV, saying, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” You can’t grab the wind, but it is there, moving where it will go.
People perceive the voice of God differently. God expresses himself to us uniquely, creatively, and personally. The point is not to fixate on the practicality of how God delivers his messages to his people. Instead, we can rely on God’s promise to speak to us. He says plainly, “My sheep hear my voice.”
Before I understand how this is supposed to work (and none of us will ever fully comprehend the mystery of the Spirit), I can rest in the truth that God is speaking. When we lean into this promise, we find that the challenge is not as much hearing God’s voice but distinguishing between our thoughts and the enemy's lies. Herein rests the importance of abiding daily. We want to follow God. To follow God, we need to know and be known by God. To build this relationship, we need to hear his voice. To listen to his voice, we must practice discernment and build history with God through prayer, meditating on his word, and many other spiritual disciplines.
Every moment spent seeking God will enable us to be prepared to follow him. So lean into God’s presence today. Understand the importance of abiding and get ready to follow God today obediently.
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Abiding happens daily in his presence. Abiding Daily is a simple and practical reminder to stay connected to the vine. Each prompt is inspired by the scriptures and designed to point you toward prayer and encounter. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To get the Daily Invitation sent to you every day click this link or text “Daily” to +1 (779) 237-3914.
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Our first devotional book is available on our online store! Abiding Daily: Volume One is a devotional book including 120 prompts from the Daily Invitation. This book is designed to help believers connect with God through the word and discover more of what it means to abide in Christ. Click here to learn more.
