As I mentioned in my previous post, last Thursday I went to an All Sons & Daughters concert (WHICH WAS AMAZING) in Raleigh. At one point, one of the lead singers briefly talked about the word “fold.” She was referencing it in the context of the old hymn, Come Thou Fount. One of the lines says, “Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God.” She said that the word “fold” is one that people in biblical times would have been been very familiar with. In their agrarian society, everyone was aware that occasionally sheep would wander from the sheepfold, away from the safety of their shepherd. In the Bible, Jesus says that we are those sheep who have wandered away from the sheepfold and away from His protection. It’s true. I can hardly count the number of times that I wander away from God just because I want to be the one in control, or because I think there is something better outside of His perfect will.
The singer went on to reference John 10, where Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd, and that His sheep know his voice. It got me thinking – do I know the voice of Jesus? Or am I too busy listening to the voices of my fears and anxieties? Maybe I think about voices more than your average person due to my field of work, but they are just so important. When I dial my grandma’s number and then hear her, “Hello?” on the other end, I smile because I know who it is. Am I that in tune with the voice of my Savior?
I started searching through the Bible for specific ways that would help me recognize His voice better. Here are a few verses I found:
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” -John 1:14
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” -Romans 8:1
“Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” -Matthew 9:36
“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” -1 Kings 19:11-12
The voice of Jesus is loving and kind, and His words are full of grace and truth. His voice isn’t pushy or mean or condemning. All too often, though, I listen to voices that are pushy or mean or condemning. That isn’t the voice of Jesus. Next time I’m faced with a big decision, or, honestly, just making it through the daily grind, I want to pay attention to what voice is guiding me. Is it the voice of society, telling me that I need to look different and perform better? Is it the voice of my own insecurities, telling me that I’m not good enough the way that I am? Or is it the voice of my Savior, whose perfect love casts out fear and who will quiet me with His love? These are the words that I want to listen to:
A Continual Feast 