The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "ARE YOU LISTENING?" for Monday, 2 May 2016 with Scripture: John 10:1-18

The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "ARE YOU LISTENING?" for Monday, 2 May 2016 with Scripture: John 10:1 “Yes, indeed! I tell you, the person who doesn’t enter the sheep-pen through the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 But the one who goes in through the gate is the sheep’s own shepherd. 3 This is the one the gate-keeper admits, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep, each one by name, and leads them out. 4 After taking out all that are his own, he goes on ahead of them; and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They never follow a stranger but will run away from him, because strangers’ voices are unfamiliar to them.”
6 Yeshua used this indirect manner of speaking with them, but they didn’t understand what he was talking to them about. 7 So Yeshua said to them again, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All those who have come before me have been thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate; if someone enters through me, he will be safe and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, life in its fullest measure.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, since he isn’t a shepherd and the sheep aren’t his own, sees the wolf coming, abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf drags them off and scatters them. 13 The hired worker behaves like this because that’s all he is, a hired worker; so it doesn’t matter to him what happens to the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; I know my own, and my own know me — 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father — and I lay down my life on behalf of the sheep. 16 Also I have other sheep which are not from this pen; I need to bring them, and they will hear my voice; and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
17 “This is why the Father loves me: because I lay down my life — in order to take it up again! 18 No one takes it away from me; on the contrary, I lay it down of my own free will. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it up again. This is what my Father commanded me to do.”
-------
[The shepherd] 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.[John 10:3-4 (NIV)]
My 14-year-old miniature dachshund is blind. So I am constantly amazed that she can still go anywhere she wants. Sometimes, though, she bumps into things and gets confused. When that happens, I call her name, urging her to come to me. Hearing my voice, she turns her head, perks up her ears, and redirects herself. She trusts me to lead her to her destination safely. Because she recognizes my voice, she follows obediently.
When I see my dog’s response to my call, I wonder about how often I fail to hear God calling me amid the busyness of my day. Do I listen for God when I bump into things and get confused? Do I follow God’s call? I don’t do as well at hearing and obeying God as my dog does me. However, I am trying to be more aware of God’s call, becoming more obedient and following where God leads.
Even more than we care about pets and others we love, God cares about us and loves us. Our part is to pray and read God’s word — listening for God’s voice and striving to follow God’s way.
Read more from the author, here."More from Virgilia Moore"

In my adult life I have had a total of 12 mini dachshunds. At one time I had 8. I am now down to 6. The one I wrote about for the May 2, 2016 devotion died a year ago.
Having had so many dogs, I have always been intrigued by how much they have taught me. I actually wrote a devotion many years ago about another of my "girls." For me it was a big step to submit it - but I loved the lesson she had taught me and I wanted to share it. It was not accepted for publication. While I was disappointed, I was glad I had at least tried. Many years passed before I submitted the next one.
In that time my sister had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I was having a particularly hard day when I received notification my devotion had been accepted. It was the highlight of my day. It brought me great joy. However, the next day I received word the it was not accepted. Wow, from the joy to disappointment in 24 hours. But I found myself being grateful for the joy I had been given during a very difficult time.
So imagine my surprise when a few months later I received notification that I needed to fill out the permission papers for my work to be published. Again - thrilled, though confused. I called to inquire and discovered that a mistake had been made when I received the rejection. Indeed, I had been selected. My father and mother had read the Upper Room to me and my siblings every morning at breakfast when we were growing up. It has remained a part of my devotion regimen to this day. So I feel very honored.
After this experience, I have been thinking about possibly writing more devotions based on what I have learned over the past 22 years when I got my first sweet girl. It seems a big endeavor to even think about, much less do, but I am trying to practice what my May 2nd devotion said - listen for the God's calling and follow obediently.[Virgilia Moore]
The Author: Virgilia Moore (North Carolina, USA)
Thought for the Day: How can I better hear God’s voice and learn to be more obedient?
Prayer: Dear God, open our ears so that we may clearly hear your call and go where you are calling us. Amen.
Prayer focus: THOSE WHO HAVE IMPAIRED VISION---------------------