A Voice in the Morning

John 10:14 - I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

I've been blessed this week.  I've been receiving some early morning visits from God.  It's comforting to know He really is nearby at all times.  He's the God who never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4).  I've not had the nerve to look at the clock to find out just exactly when He first started prompting, but again this morning I couldn't ignore His voice at 4:00.

What I believe He was trying to tell me has since gotten lost in the fog of drowsiness.  I was sure the first time I'd not forget.  Oh, how many times that has happened and I wake up without a clue. Then there are times when a dream seems so real and makes so much sense but when I start piecing it together after I wake up nothing makes sense anymore.

I guess the thought for today is about how God really does speak to us. It may be that He just wanted my attention this morning, wanted me to spend some time with Him, wanted me to get up. I'm not so concerned now about what I can't remember as I am about the fact that He does speak.  People who say, "God spoke to me" aren't always crackpots.  It's not always an audible voice but it's that "still small voice" that radiates wisdom for one wanting to listen...and not fall back to sleep.  When God speaks it comes through the wisdom of His Word.  I believe it has been brought to remembrance through His Spirit that resides within those who choose to follow God.

When we are accustomed to the Shepherd's voice, He can communicate through dreams, visions and in an audible voice, like through someone else...a pastor, friend, stranger, even a spouse. Sometimes it's just a knowing in your spirit. Sometimes we might confuse it with our own voice or thoughts. That's why it's important to know the "Shepherd's voice."  In the Old Testament there were prophets who heard from God and relayed His message to others. Sometimes these words were heeded. When they weren't there were consequences, often not good. These words might be to direct God's people in the right direction, to take them out of the hands of captors, for their salvation. He still works like that today....it's all about salvation, through Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd.

That brings me back to a teaching I learned about shepherds and their sheep.  Sheep wander aimlessly.  The Bible compares us to sheep in that we, without a Shepherd, are lost.  But in the hands of a loving shepherd, sheep are gathered, quite often just by the sound of his voice.  Once gathered they are taken care of.  They are cleaned up; they have been saved out of the hands of predators.  I doubt there are as many shepherds today, but I was taught that the shepherd back then named each of his sheep.

Looking for the scripture that describes the above paragraph I was amazed at how many references there actually were in the Old and New Testament referring to God as Shepherd. We must also be aware that there are shepherds who do not love their sheep and will let them wander and will only take care of themselves over their flock.  Ezekiel 34:8 - "As I live," says the Lord GOD, "surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock..."  These are the people we need to be wary of.  You don't want to know their voice.  It's important for us to know the True Shepherd's voice.

How do we know that we know that we know His voice?  If you hear a voice calling, if your spirit is pricked, heed the call.  I'm certain He does this throughout everyone's life--in a way you will recognize--but it's not always known at first.  I didn't know it for so many years and then one day He spoke and I allowed Him entrance into my life.  Now I recognize my Shepherd's voice.  And it's a beautiful voice.  Even when He reprimands, there's a love that no man can describe.  He knows all our names!  He stands close by at all times calling.  Listen for that voice.

You will be able to regularly recognize it through the words in the Bible.  When we do this we begin to grasp the nature of God, understand His words to us.  We understand the nature of God's love for all mankind.  We see through the history of the little nation of Israel and God's chosen people, their rebelliousness, their captivities, their redemption by God's hand, how our God delivers, how He calls us to be among His children, how He takes us out of our own captivity, that sin nature we have, cleans us up and protects us from our enemy.

John 10:3-5 - "...and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."