By David ReayThursday 13 Dec 2018LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 2 minutes
Read John 10:27
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (NLT)
Those of us who are of ‘riper years’ have to face the fact that hearing deteriorates over the years. The internal workings of our ears don’t work as well as they once did. So we may have trouble hearing certain things and can even miss hearing some things altogether.
It can be the same with hearing from God. Our God speaks to us in various ways: through creation; through circumstances; through others; through the arts and literature. And supremely through the Scriptures and Jesus. Whether we actually latch on to what he is saying is another matter.
Our minds and wills can get clogged up with junk just as our ears can get clogged up with ear wax or the advent of old age. We get immersed in trashy programmes on our screens; we become preoccupied with trivial gossip; we sink ourselves into bitterness or resentment; we just get over-busy. All this means our spiritual ears get clogged.
If we are sheep as the Bible says we are, chances are we will go astray. So it is vital we keep our ears open for the voice of the good shepherd who can get us back on track and keep us there. Cleaning out the ear wax will involve giving priority to hearing his voice once again. We give priority to him rather than be distracted by the other loud voices that clamour for attention.
There is no question that God still speaks. The only question is whether we are listening.
Blessings
David Reay