“My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). This is how Jesus described His followers’ capacity to hear His voice and obey it. In John 20:16, we see a concrete example of this. Mary, one of Jesus’ precious sheep, heard Jesus say her name, and she knew with certainty that the Good Shepherd was speaking to her.

While Jesus has not verbally called us by name like He did Mary here, we know that God has called us into relationship with Him. Despite the sorrow you may endure in this life, you can trust that the risen Lord will meet you in your moment of despair. His voice brings comfort and hope. Like Mary, once we’ve heard Jesus say our name, we should feel compelled to respond with joy and obedience.

How can your relationship with Jesus bring you joy even in difficult seasons?