Know The Voice

 

When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. John 10:4

 

“Well, if that’s true about me, You will have to show me.” (with attitude)

That is what I said to God. I was on my way out of church after I had heard my Pastor say I was as sinful as everyone else in the world. I thought He was dead wrong.

Later that week I was alone in a pool, swimming laps and patting myself on the back for some wonderful thing I thought I had done for someone who was in emotional anguish. I crowned those pats on the back with thoughts of how ungrateful he had been for my “selfless service.”

Immediately, my compassion for the man’s pain returned and I saw the selfishness I was displaying in those thoughts. I was convicted. God had shown me my sin. The greater conviction though, was that the God I had sarcastically challenged to show me the truth about myself, had just done so.

God was there. He had heard my sarcastic prayer. It was clear to me that He had very personally answered it.

The Light went on. He had not publicly humiliated me. He had quietly shown me, in the depth of my own pride, just how sinful I could be. No one else was in that pool. God. Me. He was answering my prayer and I knew it.

For the first time in my life, I knew He was real and He had spoken directly to me.

That clarity, that “Aha” moment, was the beginning of a greater understanding of my own depravity and then, spiritual growth. Graciously, God continued to point out the depth of my own sin and took my pride down, one point at a time. (This is an ongoing process that I fear I will fight to my grave).

That day, God made two things very clear to me. He hears our prayers, and He is an amazing communicator. He speaks in many ways, and we hear Him because He knows how to reach us with His truth, His grace, and His love for us (John 10:4).

It was a while before I understood that I did not have to live in guilt, working my way to heaven. Slowly, God communicated the Truth of His forgiveness through faith in Christ’s sacrifice for my sin. He used the Bible containing His Word, His people willing to speak truth to me, and many nudges from His Holy Spirit that were silent and personal, yet clear.

It took some time for me to clearly see that I owed a huge debt (the wages of sin is death) and that Christ had paid that debt for me.

That was many years ago.  He still communicates with me regularly using those nudges and His people, who will speak truth to me when they know I need it.

God is a great Communicator! The battle we face now is will we only hear His voice, or will we do we do what He says?