The worshippers of the eternal God are his children and the sheep of his flock. God guides his people through his words, through the sound of his voice. When I speak of sound, I do not mean something literally audible. The Bible, for example, is God’s Word; it is our guide to follow, and we usually read it. Hearing means that our hearts take what God says seriously and make it a priority.
Nowhere does the Word say that we would be guided by sight, but rather by hearing. An exception would be a spiritual vision or direction that God has shown, which in that case comes under the gift of revelation. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” — Romans 10:17
When we want to move according to our natural sight, we become easy prey for fear and lose our way. We get lost because we do not know the path. There are valley seasons in our lives when everything is dark and we cannot see anything. Trying to walk alone then is certain to end in disaster.
Everything that is not the Good Shepherd’s voice must be set aside: the voice of haste, insecurity, fear, rejection, anguish, pain, anxiety, bitterness or other people. We need to seek the gift of discernment in order to know what comes from the Shepherd and what does not. “But the spiritual person discerns all things well.” — 2 Corinthians 2:15a
Jesus (Yeshua) invites us to trust him not merely in words, but from the heart. Only those who trust the sound of his voice will move in his direction, in his will and in his anointing. When we hear the Holy Spirit’s voice, we do not need to wait to see something before moving, because his voice is enough. Only those who trust will walk even without seeing anything, simply because they hear God’s voice. As children and sheep, it is essential for us to be moved by the voice of the Good Shepherd, the faithful Advocate, and to hear every instruction and command.
Distractions have become a great evil that leads us far from God’s will. As worshippers, we need to repent that God found us—he seeks true worshippers who worship in spirit and in truth—but we lost our way by beginning to give our attention and our ears to other voices.
We are his worshippers. He finds us when we are living in his will, and so we are sheep who worship in Spirit and in Truth.
May you repent today and now make these words your prayer:
“I want to walk to the sound of your voice. Give me the gift of discernment. Remove everything that has contaminated my hearing, which has been compromised by giving so much attention to other things. I am imperfect, small and fallible, and I need to hear your voice, my beloved Shepherd. I do not want to do things because I think they are best for me, or because I think I am doing them for you, if you have not asked me to. I want to put what you say above everything: above the opposing impressions in my soul and the arrows and darts in my flesh that try to distract me from your presence and draw me away from this place of worship, of true surrender and complete trust. I want to hear the sound of God’s voice speaking to me when I am happy or sad, speaking, silent or crying—at all times. Let your voice ring out within me and show me everything that is stealing your place in my heart and has prevented me from hearing your voice more clearly. I declare that I am a sheep in the pasture of the Good Shepherd Yeshua, and I choose to obey and do your will, even when you do not explain the details, even when I do not understand. For the obedience of a sheep who worships you is unconditional. In the name of Yeshua, amen.”
“Truly, truly, I tell you: anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in another way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought his sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not recognise the voice of strangers. Jesus told them this illustration, but they did not understand what he was telling them. So Jesus said to them again: Truly, truly, I tell you: I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters through me, they will be saved; they will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But the hired worker, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep and runs away. The wolf seizes them and scatters the flock. The hired worker runs away because they work only for pay and do not care about the sheep. I am the good Shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I give my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not from this fold. I must bring them too. They will hear my voice, and there will be one flock and one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I give my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me; I give it of my own accord. I have authority to give it and authority to take it up again. I received this command from my Father.” — John 10:1–18
Pastor Andressa Baumgartner
