A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (April 7, 2017)
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27)
We recently published a devotional emphasizing the importance of being able to hear God’s voice. That devotional was rooted in a question God asked me personally about the following scripture:
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)
The question from God was, “What about my voice, is it not the word of God”? This scripture has overwhelmingly been taught and understood to mean the written and preached Word of God (the Bible), which is true. I don’t ever recall hearing a sermon linking this scripture to the voice of God. This is Part 2 of our original devotional because God will just not let me leave this subject. The more I meditate on this, the more important it becomes.
Let’s look at a few situations in the Bible that touch on this matter. First, Jesus was the Word of God made flesh:
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
Now, I think we can all agree that Jesus was the Word of God made flesh. He knew the scriptures better than anyone because He was the scripture manifested in the flesh. Regardless of that fact, how important was it for Jesus to hear God’s voice? Do you remember when He said the following:
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (John 5:30)
I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. (John 8:26)
Jesus himself said it was vital for Him to hear the voice of the Father. He did not do anything unless He saw the Father doing it and He did not say anything unless He heard the Father saying it. If it was important for Jesus (the Word of God made flesh) to hear God then how much more important is it for us to hear God!
Let me ask you this. How important was it for Abraham to hear and obey God’s voice and become the father of faith? How important was it for Moses to hear God’s voice and receive the Ten Commandments? How important was it for Elijah to hear the voice of God when he was in that cave wanting to die? How important was it for Paul to hear the voice of Jesus on the road to Damascus? We could go on and on.
Have we become so accustomed to our religious practices that we have become hard of hearing? Have we delegated all our hearing responsibilities over to some religious figure like a Pastor or a Priest? Are we afraid of the responsibility that will come with hearing His voice? We are His sheep! We should hear His voice for ourselves! There is no reason to fear. His intentions towards us are for good and not for evil. He wants to talk to us! The question is, are we willing to listen????
“When the Voice of God Is Not Heard, Men Go Where God Did Not Send Them”
(David Wilkerson, 1988)
