JOHN 10:27

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2007

LISTEN, JESUS IS CALLING

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. St. John 10:27 (NKJV)

Not too long ago, every farm had chickens, pigs, and cows, along with maybe a horse and some sheep and other animals, such as many dogs and cats. At feeding time, someone would go outside and call the animals to come and eat or call the cows into the barn for milking. In doing so, they would use different words, phrases and sounds to let each kind of animal know that they were being called. The animals would come when called, most of the time. They heard the voice, the sound, the words and knew it was for them. To be sure, part of their response was a reaction to a regular schedule, to a reaction to their hunger, but that only developed after they knew the voice or the sound.

A little child isn’t paying attention and wanders away from mother. The child cries and cries until hearing the mother’s voice calling the child’s name. Then the child goes running and screaming Mommie, Mommie.

A storm is raging. The power goes out. We grab our battery-powered radio and wait for the voice of our trusted radio weather person.

In all of the above, the voice was all that was needed.

Jesus knows His sheep. Jesus calls them. They follow Him. Note, they do not discuss if Jesus was born of a Virgin, or if He really meant this or that; they do not question anything. They hear His voice, they know that He has cared for them and protected them, and they know that they need nothing more. Just His voice.

If we could only be as trusting as the sheep.....

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

From cyberhymnal.org

WE PRAY:  Lord, help me to yield more and more of myself to you. Send your Holy Spirit upon me that as I study your Word, I might learn more of you and sense the Love you have for me. Help me to grow in faith to the point where your voice is all that I need to hear. AMEN
 

A SUGGESTION FOR LIVING THE DEVOTION

Watch children or animals and see how responsive they can be to a voice that they know. Then ask yourself if you are as responsive to the voice of God.