May 26, 2013 … Hearing Him Speak

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 146

 Passage of the Day: John 10: 27 [In the context of verses 25-27] [NLT] …  
25 Jesus replied, [to the religious leaders] “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is what I do in the name of my Father. 26 But you don’t believe me because you are not part of my flock. 27 My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow Me." 
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 Contextual Study for today’s passage: John, Chapter 10 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Psalm 116: 1-2 : [He hears us; … do we hear Him?] …[NLT] …  
1 I love the LORD because He hears and answers my prayers. 
2 Because He bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath!

Reference Passage #2: Hebrews 11: 6 : [No one hears who doesn’t believe.] …[NLT] …  
6 So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him 

My Journal for Today: Do you hear God speak to you? … And you know, if you answered “YES” to that question in the Veteran’s Hospital where I used to work, they would consider admitting you to the Psych ward as delusional or psychotic.

But if you honestly ask that question of me, I would have to answer “YES;” and I’d be telling the truth. … No, I don’t hear God speaking to me in an audible voice; but I do hear Him speak to me … every day.

Have you ever been in a church service, and when the preacher is giving his sermon, have you ever had the thought that his sermon was being delivered directly to you … very personally and very directly? … I sure have!

Have you ever read or meditated on a passage of the Bible; and all of a sudden a passage which you had read or studied many times before takes on a whole new level of meaning or intensity? … I sure have!

My fellow Christian; when such things happen - and you know they do – it’s because God is speaking to the one who experiences such revelations. And they happen also because the one to whom God is speaking is listening – in faith. When Jesus, in today’s highlight devotional passage from John 10, was addressing the Jewish religious leaders of His day, … He rebuked them for their disbelief and their inability to “hear” what He was saying to the people because they simply didn’t believe He was speaking directly from His Father in Heaven.

As the author of Hebrews wrote (Heb.11:6, copied above), … we are not going to hear anything our God says if we don’t believe He is Who He says He is. Do you really believe that God hears you when you pray to Him? (see Psalm 116: 1-2) If you’re a Christian, of course you do! Well then, if you believe God bends down to hear you; why would He not speak to you?

And of course, He does! But are we listening with ears of faith? And believing God wants to speak to us, where are we going to hear Him. I don’t know about you; but I’m here, right here in this quiet place in my home, because I expected to hear my God speak to me through His word … right here today. AND HE DID! … And I’m telling you about it in this journal entry.

And it’s Sunday morning; and I’ll be going to my church home today to worship my God; and I fully expect that my Lord will speak to me through the words of my Pastor, whom I know and believe is a the anointed voice of God to His flock. So, I’m excited about going to church today; because I know that my God will be speaking to me there this morning.

But it’s been a good day already … because I have heard God speak this morning; and I know He’ll continue to speak to me; because I’m part of My God’s flock; and as one of His sheep, I can hear His voice. I will now pray that you can hear Him too.

My Prayer for Today …Lord, if anyone reads my words in this blog, I pray that they can hear You speak to their ears of faith as I have heard You speak to my “ears” this day. … Amen