When Cattle Wander and The Good Shepherd Speaks

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:14-15 niv

Have you ever had one of those moments where you thought, ‘I couldn’t make this up if I tried’? I had that happen a couple weeks ago when some neighboring cattle broke out of their fencing around midnight and wandered over to our farm.

I kept replaying that morning, and the more I sat with it, the more God used it to point me back to the book of John and the way Jesus cares for us. 

Papa as the Cattle Leader

Let me start with a bit of backstory. Naturally, that night was extremely foggy and you could hardly see a foot in front of you. It was thought the cattle meandering down the road in front of the farm were ours, so they were ushered back into the pasture. 

A quick perimeter check showed no broken fencing. There has been an uptick in coyote activity lately, so perhaps the cattle got spooked and bolted. We didn’t know for sure. 

Come daybreak, still just as foggy but lighter out, Jason went to count the herd. After some walking around, a big black bull head roughly a foot taller than the rest, stood out amongst our reddish brown and gray herd. So did two other little black bull yearlings. 

There is no easy way to sort cattle in an open field, so our only choice was to move the whole group, visitors and all, down to the barn. Whenever there is a cattle drive, our herd knows the routine. Papa leads with the fourwheeler while calling them, and I push from behind. 

But this time, we had neighbors helping. They started walking right into the middle of the herd. I stood dumbfounded for a moment as the cattle became unsettled and spread out. I started cooing to the girls, “it’s ok, it’s ok,” trying to calm them down.

We regrouped, got them down to the barn, and hoped like heck the two bulls (ours is kept in a pasture right next to the barn) wouldn’t start fighting. The visiting cattle were picked up within an hour or so and we went on with our day.

Jesus as the Good Shepherd

The entire debacle was a reminder of how quickly animals grow uneasy when someone or something unknown steps into their space. In the same way, sheep become wary of a voice they do not recognize.

In John chapter 10, Jesus talks about a stranger entering a sheep pen. He is addressing the Pharisees’ unbelief that He is the long awaited Messiah.

Here is part of the picture Jesus gives them:

Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.  The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

Jesus tried again specifying that He was the gate and anyone who entered through His gate would be saved. He called himself the Good Shepherd. The Shepherd who does not run away but lays down his life for his flock.

In verse 14, Jesus reiterates a third time:

Just as our cattle trust and follow Papa because they know his voice, the sheep trust and follow their shepherd because they recognize his voice.

As believers of God, Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd and we are the sheep. The Good Shepherd offers protection, healing, tender loving care, a sense of belonging, and most importantly salvation. 

All we have to do is listen for our Shepherd and follow His voice.

How do we hear the Good Shepherd’s voice?

Just like our cattle recognize Papa’s voice because they are used to hearing it, we grow more familiar with Jesus’ voice the more time we spend with Him.

So maybe a better question to ask is how do we tune out worldly noise that interferes with the Shepherd’s voice? Life is chock full of good and bad distractions like cell phones, social media, jobs, raising families, caring for loved ones, etc.

It’s tempting to overanalyze and/or overcomplicate the answer to this question. However, I’m learning the best way to make sure I’m hearing the Good Shepherd’s voice is simply this: spend time with Him.

For me that looks like prioritizing time to do these things: 

• read Scripture
• pray honestly
• confess and turn back quickly
• bring everything to God first

In turn, I’m better able to do these things:

• be alert and sober minded
• hold still and listen
• maintain a soft heart
• be obedient
• fall deeper in love with God

Importance of Training Our Ears to Listen

Speaking from experience, if we don’t make a point to recognize the Good Shepherd’s voice, several things might happen. We might assume he’s stopped talking to us. Perhaps panic starts to set in. Trust starts to erode. Belief turns into doubt. 

Before you know it, you’re off the beaten path, lost in a sea of fog, calling for help and unable to discern whether the voice you hear is for you or against you.  

Sometimes, the noise around us hardens our hearts without us even realizing it. Sometimes, when we choose not to prioritize time with God, our hearts become deaf to His voice. 

Jesus reiterated his status as our Good Shepherd to another group of Jewish people, in verses 27-30: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

God is always available to those who call on His name. He is trustworthy. 

Will you in return, fight through the fog and surrender whatever distractions have been pulling you away from the Shepherd’s voice?

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the gift of your Son and eternal life. Thank you for leading, protecting, healing, providing, and loving us. We praise you for knowing each one of us intimately. Help us train our hearts to hear your voice and tune out that which leads us away from you. In your name we pray, Amen.