For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. [15] For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
Romans 8:14-15 NASB
The Christian Journey is one that is taken by faith from the start to finish. We begin our journey by believing in our heart that Jesus is Lord and by a confession of faith, Romans 10:9-10. It is likened to the journey of the Israelites, ex slaves, from slavery in the land of Egypt to a land flowing with milk and honey, Israel. Being that all the Israelite knew was slavery, none of them knew the way, the challenges that they would face, nor did they have a clear understanding of their destination. All they had was a promise from God and a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire by night, Exodus 13:21. There was provision enough to keep them every day, yet in all these, none of them ever knew the full details or even as much as when they would move or when or where they will rest for the night. All that was determined by God.
Our Christian journey is a pilgrimage. This means that we have left the land of our nativity, the land we were born into for a promise of a better kingdom. The bible says we have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, Colossians 1:13. The Lord also left His promise, of being our Shepherd. Isaiah 42:16 says ” I will lead the blind by a way they do not know; I will guide them in paths that they do not know. I will make darkness into light before them And rugged places into plains. These things I will do [for them], And I will not leave them abandoned or undone.” Being described as being blind here is because we do not have full sight or even any sight of the journey and we are completely dependent on the leading of the shepherd if we ever have hope of reaching our destination.
Rest assured, our Shepherd is a good one and is committed to the sheep. Sheep often do not see clearly, but they have a good sense of smell and hearing. Jesus called us His sheep and said that a character of His sheep is that they hear His voice, John 10:27-29. He put His Spirit in our heart to make sure we do. If you are a child of God, you hear His voice. If you are a child of God, He is always leading you and you have the ability to know what this direction is for your life at every junction. Isaiah 30:21 says ” Whether you turn to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice saying, “This is the road! Now follow it.“. However, those who will make it to the land of promise are those who wait for this voice. Like the children of Israel, there were choices to return to the land of their slavery or other lands and some that will take this path. There are also many who would call God shepherd, but insist that He does not know what He is doing. Our getting to the promised land is not dependent on if God will speak to us, but our following. Hebrews 1:1-2 says that God speaks many times and in multiple ways. He is a shepherd who loves to lead His sheep.
Repeat these words: The LORD is my shepherd and I am His sheep. I hear His voice and I know His will in EVERY situation because I have His Spirit in me.
Knowing that He is your shepherd, has promised never to leave you directionless and is committed to you, it is your responsibility to pause and listen for His voice. Often times, hearing His voice involves pausing enough to be sure and seeking until you are sure. Elijah had a similar experience when going to the mountain to meet God. He heard an earth quake, but within him, he knew it was not the Lord, 1 Kings 19:11. Neither was the wind or the fire, which were significant signs that could pull any mans attention. He knew well enough not to look for signs but God. When God spoke in a still small voice, his spirit bore witness and he knew it was God. Because you have the Spirit of God in you, when God speaks, you will know! His voice is clear and unmistakeable. If you are not sure and in your heart it is not because you are resisting what you already know to be God, wait till you are. David had to ask God multiple times about the same issue to be sure. He promised to never forsake us, regardless of how many times we pause to ask. If anything, it only shows Him how much we trust Him and are willing to wait for His instructions, knowing that His words are the only that bring life and not death, John 6:66-69.
The world is entering dark dark times. Where if it were possible, even the elect will be deceived. If a person is looking for signs, they will see plenty in these times. If they are looking for things that make sense to the head, they will see plenty that are contrary. The times we are coming into will involve following commands that seem like death sentences, sacrificing comfort, human logic and even possibly everything including our lives to follow. However, the reward for this is great! Those who will sit on the throne are those who followed God wherever He went, not wherever made sense or pleased them, even at the cost of their lives, Revelations 14:1-4. Rest assured, you hear His voice and you will know when He speaks to you. The good news is that, His sheep hear His voice AND follow. You have what it takes to follow the lamb wherever He leads.
Prayer for today: Lord Jesus, thank you that I can call You my Shepherd. I know I will not lack any good thing. Lord because I am Your sheep, I hear Your voice and I follow You. Help me to learn to wait and hear Your voice in every situation. If I do not hear clearly, teach me not to be hasty, but to wait. Lord help me not to harden my heart, or be as slow as a mule or impatient and hasty, needing to be coerced like a horse. Teach me to wait patiently Lord, because You alone have the words that lead to eternal life. Amen.
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