My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27
Tom, Tim, and I were playing a game called Personal Preference in which players choose which items other players would prefer from a list of options. On one question, Tom and Tim had to choose my preferences for a list of activities. On that list was exploring a cave. Tim said, ‘No, that’s not something Jim would want to do.’ And he marked his card accordingly. Tom said, ‘Dad would love to explore a cave.’ And he marked his card accordingly. How did those two come to such opposite views as to my preferences? As my friend, Tim knew some things about me, but there was much he did not know. As my son, Tom knew me better than I realized, because we spent so much time together and shared so much. Around us are people, some who know us very well and others know little about us. But the Lord Jesus knows us best of all.
While it is true that God knows everything about everybody, Nahum 1:7 reminds us that the Lord knoweth them that trust in Him. This means that He doesn’t just know us, He holds us as His personal acquaintances. In verse 14 of our chapter, as the good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus declares that He knows his sheep and they know Him. Just as a regular shepherd would be aware of each sheep in his flock, its habits and personality, its fears and worries, its needs and likes, so the Lord Jesus knows all these things about us. And as our Shepherd, these things matter to Him. That is why our prayers are so important; they keep us ever aware of our dependence on Him. It is also why our reading is important; it keeps us ever reminded of His care and provision for us. These deepen the knowledge we have of our Lord, and of His individual care for us.
We hear of political leaders who learn all they can about the people they are representing. And some of them do make a serious effort at being able to relate to the problems and struggles of their people. But these leaders can never know any but a tiny few of the people in a personal way. So they can never be like our Lord, Who makes it a point to be personally involved with each of us, and Who knows us better than we know ourselves, and cares more for us than we do ourselves.
Jesus says His sheep follow Him. Why would we not follow One Who knows us so well and cares for us so deeply? -Jim MacIntosh