Its been a tough morning to find any quiet time at all. The kids have had a lot of questions as we close the end of the school year. And Greg is particularly unsatisfied with anything we try pacify him with. Its all "old" to him. He needs adventure like a duck needs water.
Well, I finally sat in my chair in disbelief at the sudden quietude. That is a word, right? :) - - - "God talk to me." Sometimes when I have so much filling my head and I don't have any idea of where to start with my own words, this seems like a good place to begin a conversation. I was quiet for a minute. And then the verse, "my sheep hear my voice," came to mind. I thought, "I've read that so many times. I probably don't need to even look it up . .. " but I did anyway.
"My sheep hear my voice. I know them. And they follow me." John 10:27
The "I know them" part kind of struck me. Have I paid much attention to that? "My sheep hear my voice." and "they follow me" have been pretty quotable. Yes, those I remember pretty well. But here, right inbetween God telling us that we hear his voice, and that we follow him is the very comforting and reassuring certainty that he knows us. WELL, I might add. And it kind of fell on me that as he talks to us he is taking very careful thought as to who we are. Our thoughts, personalities, ideas, interests, gifts, desires, questions. And still he says, "they follow me." All of a sudden those words sounded so confident. It made me think that the more confidence we have in Him that He speaks to us, the more confidence He has in us that we will follow him.
I think sometimes I get caught up in doubting what I feel He's impressed on me, or said to me. "Did I hear you right?" I ask. And there is nothing wrong with wanting to be more certain that it is His voice we hear and not our own. I'm not advocating randomly going around doing things in God's name without searching out the matter. Yes, examine your heart. Ask him questions. Search out the matter with him. But I ask myself this morning, "How much more important might it be to God that my heart wants to hear his voice and follow him than that I get it right everytime?" I think maybe that just like anything God gives us, including his voice, that we be good stewards of it. If I think he's said something. I'm quite sure I should do something about it. Add to that faith, and I believe he will increase my ability to hear as I steward his voice and in obedience follow him in doing that which he's laid on my heart.
"So, in the practice of stewardship I share this this morning, God. :) For what its worth. Only because I just get so excited when you talk to me. There's nothing I want more. God talk to me. Keep talking to me and let me just abide in you and I'm a pretty happy gal most of the time. I may not get it right all the time. But I have a lot of good friends who pretty much love to hear from you too and may have similar questions at times. So please, fine tune my radio reception. I'd really like you to think about me confidently that I'm someone who hears your voice and will follow you. And thanks for talking to me. And for knowing me. That sits sweetly this morning, God."
