Knowing His Voice

 

“When he [the shepherd] has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

—John 10:4-5

Evidently Red Riding Hood did not know her Grandma as well as she thought she did. On her famous visit, the wolf, who had earlier spoken to her in the woods, disguised his voice in such a way that he tricked the little girl into thinking he was her Grandma. Had it not been for her quick legs and a woodsman nearby, the wolf would have had her for dinner.

We know that in our modern day, voice recognition software helps authorities identify people scientifically. As our fingerprints, the retina of our eyes, and our DNA give distinguishing characteristics, so do our voices.

Just as Jesus taught, we can recognize His voice if we know Him. He does not reveal Himself to “strangers.” In the same way that Red Riding Hood was duped by the clever wolf, so our spiritual enemy, Satan, has packs of evil emissaries that come to us with trickery and temptation.

So, how do we come to recognize the true voice of the Good Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ?

• First of all, we know Him by speaking to Him frequently. I don’t recognize the voice of someone with whom I’ve only had one or two conversations. But, even something as simple as the clearing of a throat of someone I know very well, identifies that person to me.
  
  
• Secondly, we can discern the real voice of our Lord by the way in which the voice speaks to us. The Apostle James gives us these distinguishing marks in James 3:14-17:

  If you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But, the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Do we hear the loving, merciful, and engaging voice of our Savior? Or, do we hear the accusing, resentful voice of our sinful nature and our enemy, Satan? This kind of discernment comes from a mature walk with God. And, it becomes increasingly evident the longer we live.

Maybe Red Riding Hood should have prayed before she began her walk to Grandma’s house. Each day, and in each decision we feel unsure to make, we need to stop and pray that God will make Himself evident in our thinking, and that we will clearly recognize His loving voice, distinguishing it from all other voices.

 

 

Will You Celebrate?

 

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

—John 20:19-20

The first time the disciples had gathered together since the Last Supper, at which time Jesus had explained to them the importance of His upcoming death, must have been a real celebration. Yes, there was some fear and doubt. But, once the disciples began to realize what had really happened, can you imagine the joy?

Did someone go out and bring back food? Did they dance and sing? The evening air must have rang with stories from the women who had first discovered the tomb was empty and who had ran back to tell the disciples what they had discovered; from those two disciples who had sped to the tomb in the morning; and from the two travelers who had met Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Can you imagine how these devoted followers of Jesus moved from their doubts and fears to the sudden realization of the amazing truth of the resurrection?

Do you think they worshipped and sang hymns? Surely, if they sang a hymn as they went out to Gethsemane on Thursday evening, they would have much more joyfully and willingly sang on this occasion.

Do you celebrate on Easter? Now, I’m not asking if you take your children or grandchildren to meet the Easter Bunny in preparation for this special day. I’m not asking what you intend to serve at your special Easter dinner. I’m not asking if you have a new dress, or hat, or purse to wear for the Easter parade or to attend your church’s service.

I’m asking what you will do to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. Will you take the time to consider the miraculous rescue Jesus planned for us through His conquering of sin, death, and Satan on our behalf? Will your heart fill with worshipful gratitude for the eternal plan of God the Father, the suffering of His Son, our Lord Jesus for us, and the amazing power over our sin, and all sin, won through the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit?

Will you celebrate in the company of others who rejoice in the joy of the resurrection? Will you heartily sing songs of praise, listen to the Scriptures with attention and awe, and realize again God’s love for you? Will you enjoy this period of Eastertide, from the sunrise on Easter Sunday morning and all through the days to come? Will you shout with great joy: “The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed!”

As George Ratcliffe Woodward’s marvelous hymn declares:¹

This joyful Eastertide,
   away with sin and sorrow!
My love, the Crucified,
   has sprung to life this morrow.

Refrain: Had Christ, who once was slain,
   not burst his three-day prison,
   our faith had been in vain.
But now is Christ arisen, arisen, arisen;
   but now is Christ arisen!

Death’s flood has lost its chill
   since Jesus crossed the river.
Lover of souls, from ill
   my passing soul deliver.

Refrain: Had Christ, who once was slain,
   not burst his three-day prison,
   our faith had been in vain.
But now is Christ arisen, arisen, arisen;
   but now is Christ arisen!

My flesh in hope shall rest
   and for a season slumber
Till trump from east to west
   shall wake the dead in number.

Refrain: Had Christ, who once was slain,
   not burst his three-day prison,
   our faith had been in vain.
But now is Christ arisen, arisen, arisen;
   but now is Christ arisen!

______________________

1 Woodward, George. “This Joyful Eastertide.” Public Domain.

 

 

Every Part

 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

—Mark 12:30

Looking at the Scripture verse at the beginning of this blog post, I asked myself, “Can I even do that?”

What seems like an impossible task came straight from the Savior’s lips. Because I had heard that verse nearly all my life, it simply floated over my head like so much other Scripture. But, when I read the book, Living Sacrifice: Willing to Be Whittled as An Arrow ¹ by Dr. Helen Roseveare, I had to slow down and let each part of that verse speak to my heedless heart.

Serving as a medical doctor and missionary to the African church in Congo for many years, and as a lecturer (or teacher) across the globe in her later years, Dr. Roseveare certainly experienced what giving herself in the manner of this Scripture verse meant. She understood the suffering, the strain, and the privilege of living fully for Christ.

Dr. Roseveare said of this Scripture verse:

To love the Lord my God with all my [heart] will involve a spiritual cost. To love the Lord my God [with all my soul] will involve a volitional and emotional cost. To love the Lord my God with all my mind will involve an intellectual cost. To love the Lord my God with all my strength will involve a physical cost.

In her book, Dr. Roseveare then described how the Lord required of her costly service in each area, including the physical cost of rape at the hands of rebel soldiers during the Congo uprising in 1964. The cost to her mind meant putting away her great medical training for a time, in order to make bricks with the Africans and help build a hospital. Giving her soul meant putting away her former cherished ideas of how she should serve, and instead having to sacrifice the anticipated comforts, like marriage, to serve her Lord.

Sometimes we come to God, intending to serve, and realize that we have experienced deep wounds in one or more of these areas. We need healing before we can give ourselves fully. The Great Physician knows our needs for rest, for comfort, for counsel, for study, for medical treatment, even for a new start. He certainly can provide all we need, in order that He can have a servant strong to serve.

The following words come from the hymn, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.” ² Certainly, if we are to love Christ fully, we need to understand His great love for us!

Plenteous grace with thee is found,
grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound,
make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art,
freely let me take of thee;
Spring thou up within my heart,
rise to all eternity.

______________________

1 Roseveare, Helen. Living Sacrifice: Willing to Be Whittled as An Arrow. Scotland, UK:      Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1980. Amazon Kindle location 273 of 1644.

2 Wesley, Charles. “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.” Hymn in the public domain, stanza 4.

 

 

Sealed Forever

 

	“He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
	—1 Corinthians 1:22

When I was a teenager, I received a gift of a wax sealing kit for use on envelopes. The kit came complete with a stick of wax with a wick and two metal sealers. I would light the wick of the wax, drop wax on the flap of the envelope, and use one of the metal sealers to stamp an image into the soft wax. For me, it served as just a fun way to complete my friendly letters. In ages past, however, seals served as authentic means of verifying documents that came from important people.

In the Old Testament, we read of the Babylonian and Persian kings sealing documents in order to declare the oath written within irrevocable. Once sealed, the decree had to remain in tact. For example, King Nebuchadnezzar signed such a decree and could not reverse the decision to place Daniel in the lions’ den.

In modern times, ear tags are used as seals on farm animals, or a cattleman may brand a cow or horse signifying his ownership. The electric meter outside your house has a lead seal that indicates to the electric utility that no one has tampered with that meter.

In Bible times, a servant who chose to remain with his owner after the six year limit on his servitude, would be marked by a piercing of one ear. ¹ This would guarantee him as a servant of the owner for life.

The New Testament tells us, in the Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post, that God has put His spiritual seal of ownership on us—His guarantee that we belong to Him. This seal remains secure forever.

If we have received the gift of salvation that God has offered to us through faith, placed our trust in His Son as our Savior, and answered His call to serve Him for life, He has declared that He cannot revoke this seal on us. In fact, God has given us a seal or deposit—the presence of His Holy Spirit within us.

To experience this branding with God’s own seal requires nothing from us, but our humble gratitude and purposeful obedience. His choice of us as His very own, though too wonderful to comprehend, began before the foundation of the world and came to completion through the accomplishment of Christ’s finished work on the cross of Calvary.

We belong to Him forever. Romans 11:29 gives us this assurance:

“… for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”

Imagine a beautifully sealed envelope with you inside being kept close to God’s heart until the very day that Christ opens the seal in Heaven. He wants us there in Heaven with Him, but He also wants to use us each day as a witness to this world of His glory.

We go forth each day, as chosen vessels of His mercy, grace, and love. We carry the Good News of His Gospel to everyone who crosses our pathway. What joy we should feel that God has chosen us, sealed us, and desires to use us in His service.

______________________

1 Please see Exodus 21:2-6 and Deuteronomy 15:12-18.