You said what?

 Jesus answered, “I told you, but you don’t believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don’t believe because you’re not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind.” (John 10:28-30)

Has God ever told you something, shown you it through scripture or in a sermon, only to find you still don't believe what he has shown you? It can sometimes take days and years for some of us to believe what God says and then to act upon it, or allow it to act upon us as he desires for his words to work. Why? We question authority. We hold onto preconceived ideas about how God works. We live in fear that God will ask us to do something we won't find 'acceptable' for our lives. The reasons are as varied as can be, but the fact remains - God said it, we need to believe it, and we need to act upon it!

His sheep recognize his voice, but they also respond to it. Sheep listen to the commands of the Shepherd because they have come to appreciate he provides for them, protects them, and helps them in so many ways. Their trust isn't just 'blind trust' - they have seen him 'work' on their behalf. Do you recognize how God has worked on your behalf? Do you heed his voice, not because you 'have to', but because you desire to do so above any other voice you could be listening to right now? If you are like me, you listen with open ears, but your heart may not always be open to doing whatever it is he asks. 

The fact remains, we are under God's care and his watchful eye. To not trust him is kind of silly, but we still struggle sometimes. We have our own way of doing things, and when God asks us to do something outside of that 'normal behavior', we sometimes balk. God isn't just a God of the normal - he is a God of the super-normal! He counts on us trusting his goodness and grace more than we do and he never gives up on bringing what we need into our lives. He uses one means, we ignore it. He uses a different means, we still ignore it. Then one day, kind of like it was something totally new to us, he speaks and we listen - responding like it was something totally new!

I am amazed continually with how good God is to me, being patient with my self-driven life, allowing me time to finally hear and heed his message to me. How about you? Are you realizing that God has been speaking all along, in different ways, and you just refused to listen or ignored his words? It isn't too late. His sheep recognize his voice and they respond to it. How about it? Will you respond to his voice today? Just asking....