He knew my voice
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27
Rocky
We have three wonderful but stubborn dogs that reside in our backyard fence. At night they come in and sleep in their room in their cozy kennels. They love the freedom of being outside during the day and the warmth of their safe beds at night. One dog, Rocky, is determined to explore and wander. He keeps finding unique ways of getting out of the fence. Recently he has learned to climb the wall. We have had to get very creative in preventing that. He always comes back when we call his name, but we know the dangers he faces outside the safety of the fence. We had him chipped just in case he couldn’t hear our voice or couldn’t find his way back. Recently, a dog showed up in our yard. Rocky sprung into action. He managed to find a way out and immediately began defending his territory. Hearing the commotion, I ran outside to find the two about to fight. I saw a woman running up the road yelling and realized she was yelling for her dog. I immediately began yelling Rocky’s name. He struggled to divert his attention and would look back and forth between his enemy and me. He wanted to engage in this battle and didn’t want to listen to me. The other dog was not listening to his owner at all. All that mattered at the moment to both dogs was the battle. After continuing to yell and walking toward Rocky, he reluctantly returned to my side. He was not happy but obeyed. The other dog continued to walk closer and closer to us until I grabbed Rocky and went inside the house. The dog finally lost interest and returned to its owner. This is much like what happens in our churches today. A nonbeliever or believer not yet accustomed to recognizing God’s voice and instruction begins “barking,” The pack immediately answers the call to quarrel. It takes a mature well-trained believer to walk away from the fight. God is the only one with authority to tell us what danger is and to be fought. He knows the other person’s heart and knows the outcome could lead to injury on their part and possibly even ours. At the very least, it causes uproar and commotion to the entire church and distraction from Him. I would love to say that I always respond immediately to His voice. However, sometimes the urge to defend my territory is strong. I need to become so confident in Him and attuned to His voice that I hear Him even when my emotions run high. May we all as believers better listen to Him and end so much of the hurt and injury done in today’s churches.
Father, please teach us to listen to your voice above all else. We love you
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