Mar 03

We do have the promise from God that those who belong to him can hear him speak to them.

"The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice" (John 10:3).

Jesus is the watchman who watches over our soul and he has opened the gate of salvation for us. Included in this verse is the assertion that we who are his sheep hear his voice.

Being able to hear the Lord speak to us is critical to our safety and well being. There are many voices out there in the world, in addition to the self-centered voices of our own heart, and we need to be able to distinguish one from the other. We need to be able to discern the Lord's voice from all the others, and to disregard those other voices and follow the voice of the Lord alone.

"His sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice" (John 10:5).

This is a truth that we need to know and appropriate into our lives. But, as a case in point, it is also a truth that the world that refuses to acknowledge Jesus as the Sheperd of their soul refuses to hear. Because they refuse to hear, they cannot hear.

"Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them" (John 10:6).

Scripture for today: 1 Cor. 2:13; John 10:1-6
Thought for today: Those who belong to the truth hear the truth.
Prayer for today: Lord, unless I hear you speak the truth to me, I am lost with the rest of the world. Open my ears to hear you speak to me. Close my ears to the lies of the devil and this world.

MAR 03