Most Sundays I spend time meal prepping for the week. I love listening to music or sermons as I chop vegetables and steam rice. Recently, I heard an amazing message about hearing the voice of God. It was given by the lead pastor of a church called UpperRoom in Dallas, Texas. He made so many good points in his message. He talked about why God speaks and the places that He calls us to. Briefly, I wanted to share one of the points that really stood out to me.
One of the places that God calls us is to Himself. To illustrate this point, the pastor showed a video of a shepherd and his sheep. There stood the shepherd clad in heavy jacket and knickers on a lush, picturesque hillside. A thick fog descended on the hill hiding the sheep grazing nearby. Ever the good shepherd, he calls out to the sheep as they can’t see him due to the dense fog. Unwavering, his steady voice cries out into the darkness for what seems like an eternity. Suddenly, a flock of sheep come running towards him. Sheep from almost every direction rush out of the fog towards their dear shepherd. This was such a powerful example of how God calls to us.
There are many situations in life that try to hinder us from hearing the voice of God. Stressors of life can be distracting. We get so consumed with busyness that we don’t spend time in His word. Other times this cloud is uncertainty. We stand motionless at a crossroad, not sure whether to turn left or right. Prayers for clarity seemingly go unanswered as our minds fill with apprehension. Perhaps, we are at a standstill. There is the promise of an expected end, however; we feel stuck in a season of waiting. In either case, a heavy fog surrounds in such a way to make us unaware of God’s presence. It’s times like these that we long to hear His voice.
Let’s face it. God can cause the wind and the waves to cease blowing. Surely, He can lift the fog and quiet the noise that so easily fills our daily lives. What if instead God uses these situations to teach us something? He doesn’t always lift the fog. Sometimes, He uses the foggy conditions to train us how to hear His voice. We must slow down and quiet ourselves. Tune your ear towards heaven and listen for His instruction. He patiently calls out to us. We must simply be still and put our focus on Him.
The pastor ended the sermon with a challenge. I’d like to extend this challenge to you as well. Take five minutes out of your day to simply listen to God. Position your heart and mind to encounter Him. Don’t come with a wish list. Ask Him to speak and then listen to hear what He has to say. I promise He’ll answer you.
**Sidebar: I take no credit for this revelation. If you ever get the opportunity, then I highly recommend checking out UpperRoom’s online sermons and worship sets. God always speaks to me through their ministry. He’s not bound by time or space. 😊**
Scripture References:
*John 10:14-15 (NLT) “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So, I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”
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