Nugget of the day: The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” John 10:2-5 I have been blessed to hear God speak out loud to me one time. I was home alone and reading the Bible. I had asked God a question, and His response was “because I love you, Laurie, I love you.” Being alone and hearing a loud male voice should have scared me but instead, it was very comforting. I long to hear that voice again. I have never doubted that God loves us, what amazed me the most was that God used my name. He knows me as an individual and not as one of His many children. A shepherd knows His sheep. He can distinguish each one of them even when they all look alike to everyone else. Following Jesus brings peace into our lives. When we allow others to be our shepherd, there is unrest in our souls. There is a reason God compares us to sheep. Sheep are very needy. They need to be led to food, protected from predators, and they need to be guided as to not get into trouble. And when a sheep gets lost, he needs a shepherd to find him. My prayer tonight is that we know we have a trustworthy and loyal Shepherd. I pray He is the only One we follow. He will never mislead us. Our God is watching over each one of us. He knows what we need to lead fulfilling lives if we are eager to follow Him. If you are lost, know that your Shepherd is searching for you and will not stop looking until He finds you. You are not just one of many people. Your shepherd knows you by name and knows every detail about your life. Sleep tight tonight knowing your Shepherd is watching over you.