Expect God to do something

Never Alone Again

He wants you to know Him deeply.

Weeks had gone by and daily Bible study and prayer had become part of Sandy’s life. Reading the bible was her “down time” at night and it relaxed her after a long day at work or a tough ballet or tap class. She began to need her daily time with God and found that she found it harder to sleep or to function the next day if she had to skip her “God time”. She was surprised how much she understood as she read the gospels and how often other voices told her things contrary to what the bible taught. Did God really want her to know Him and His ways? Could she continue to thrive the way she had started to do while reading Bible? Were there any secrets that God wanted to keep from her? Many people feel like the Bible is too hard to understand. The truth is that God wants us to know Him intimately so that we know what is true and what is not. Read John 10:1-18 and learn how close we can become to God.

Jesus’ people come to know the Good Shepherd’s voice. Just as a child can pick up his mother’s voice in a crowded room, a Christian can grow in their faith so that they recognize Jesus’ voice among the many voices that try to guide him or her in their lives. We listen to the Lord and follow His advice rather than listening to all the other voices in the media and among our friends. We want Jesus’ advice and solutions because, like a loving parent, He wants us to thrive and will give us the guidance that brings us long term joy. His voice becomes special to us as we spend time listening to His word and praying on a regular basis. The bible becomes our guidebook in life and helps us weigh the opinions that we receive from others. Like a child, we enjoy the time with our heavenly Father and learn to trust what He says.

The sheep in John 10 know that the shepherd cares. He will never abandon them and will stand between them and danger. Others might abandon them, but the shepherd will always be there. As they stay near Him, they find safety and food. It is the love of Jesus that makes us want to be near Him. He did lay down His life for us on the cross so that we might have eternal life. He is always with us even when we feel alone or abandoned. We listen for His voice because it is the voice of protection and provision. Others may try to lure us away from Jesus, but we know that we are better off with Him. We have seen how His ways work out better in our lives than any other counsel. He is a friend we can count on and a friend we can trust throughout our whole life.

Thursday morning was dragging on for Sandy at the diner when she noticed a wallet left behind in one of the booths. She picked up the wallet and noticed a lot of cash and felt the temptation to take part of it. She also noticed the driver’s license photo and saw that it was one of her regulars who worked just down the street. A little voice told her what to do. She asked her boss for permission to leave and return the wallet. The customer hadn’t even noticed he was missing it, but thanked her profusely for taking the time to return the wallet. As she walked back to the diner, she was glad that she had listened to Jesus. He always knew what to do. His sheep know His voice and listen to it. They trust Jesus and want to follow Him because He alone will bring them long term happiness. A faith may start out small, but it can grow to be a relationship that will touch every part of our life with Jesus’ love and guidance. Is God’s love the only benefit we receive as Christians? Join Sandy next week in the blog “Welcome to the family!” to find out.             

Ponder the answers to these questions.

• What was the greatest friendship you have ever had? What made that friendship special?
• Jesus is eager for a deep friendship with you. Are you willing to take the time to be with him so that friendship can blossom?