Listen

John 10 radiates with encouragement and exhortation for those who would choose to follow the living Christ. A key word in the chapter is 'listen.' To the sheep who know the shepherds's voice, the words are life and peace (Jn.6:63). To those who have hardedned their hearts and rejected Jesus of Nazareth, his words are labeled demonic (10:19). The contrast is startling. What am I hearing as I follow the Good Shepherd? It should be good news of peace, joy and life. Christ's words bring confidence, contentment, security as life unfolds. The Psalmist said to 'be still & know God (46:10). It's about learning to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. In a world of massive doses of noise, I must learn to cultivate the inner ear to hear the Good Shepherd. Too often I find myself afraid of the silence and content to be drowned by the noise. As the young man Samuel declared, 'speak Lord your servant is listening.' With the help of the Holy Spirit let us cultivate ears to hear the Word of God and listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church.