Rev. Ray and Pat Amos
John 10:3-5
“The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow.”
“LISTENING TO OUR MASTER”
Lately I have been with a lot of wonderful but worried folks who are being pulled different directions in the world of Christianity. When the sheep are faithful, but they are hearing uncertain trumpets from so many authorities, what are they to do? After all, “God is not the author of confusion.”
I am reminded of a story that E. Stanley Jones gave us years ago: A football game had to be stopped because in the middle of the field was a frightened dog. It ran in circles while many voices called for it. The little guy didn’t know which voice to listen to. Then he heard the one that got his attention. It was the kind voice of his master. Trembling, yet happily, he went to the arms of that voice. This was his master; now he was safe and going home.
Have you ever been like that dog? We can, at times, feel so lost and confused. There can be many voices calling for us to do this and do that; there is no shortage of advice, yet not one of them is the dominant voice we long for.
Dare we learn to hear again? We once were taught the importance of practicing the presence of God. Can we intentionally practice listening to God. It is our only way out of the maze we are lost in.
According to the Bible, each one of us must work out our own salvation with trembling. Others can offer encouragement and guidance, but no one has the authority to tell you what to do but God. Somehow, we have lost the fact of personal responsibility for how we live our lives and practice our faith. We cannot help what we hear, but we must decide what we do with what we hear.
We must learn to talk less and listen more when we pray. God has much more to tell us than we have to say to God. Praying with an open Bible in our hands may be one of the ways that our Lord will speak to us. It is amazing how He can lead us to the scriptures that we need the most.
We hear a lot of information, but even the most trusted voice can be wrong. Pray that the Holy Spirit will make things clear. Be careful when you are told that “you must act or decide now.” The old song had it right: “Teach me Lord to wait down on my knees, until in Your own good time You answer my pleas. Teach me not to rely on what others do but to wait in prayer for an answer from You.”
We all need that one dominant voice that we can trust. The voice is nearer than we think. Our best prayer might be from an old Hymn we don’t sing enough:
“Open my ears that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear.
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
Everything false will disappear.”
Grace and Peace, Rev Ray
“Link to YouTube Video – Open My Eyes That I May See
