God's Voice

And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. So don't fool yourselves. For if a person just listens and doesn't obey, he is like a man looking at his face in the mirror; as soon as he walks away, he can't see himself anymore or remember what he looks like. But if anyone keeps looking steadily into God's law for free men, he will not only remember it but he will do what it says, and God will greatly bless him in everything he does. James 1: 22-25 (TLB)

" He walks ahead of them; and they follow him, for they recognize his voice." John 10:4 (TLB)

Barbara St. Claire Barton lives in Tennessee. Following a serious illness, Barbara awoke from a three-week "sleep" unable to move, talk, swallow, or hear. She recovered most of her abilities with time, but her hearing was permanently impaired. She was declared profoundly deaf.

Months later, Barbara tried very powerful hearing aids, and she was shocked when the silence around her was broken. However, most of what she heard was just mechanical noise that made little sense to her and was overwhelming. Amazingly, her husband's voice could cut through that noise, especially when Barbara could focus on his face as he talked. His familiar voice brought her comfort, grounded her, and helped her understand what others were saying to her.

Similarly, Barbara believes that God's voice can cut through the frightening noise of the world around us. The more we focus on God and the more familiar we become with God's word, the more readily we can hear God speaking to us each day.

Prayer: Dear God, may your words of peace and love guide us to do your will today, in Jesus' name. Amen.