John 10:27 (NIV)
The high school tennis match was intense and fierce. Both girls were obviously competitors, but I noticed that one appeared to slowly but firmly begin to dominate the other. Encouragement from the large crowd was all around, the voices loud and strong. Emotions were being offered up with each serve, each return, each miss. And then I heard his voice.
It had a deep, rich sound - but I noticed something else. The owner of the voice was confident, calming, and quietly encouraging in what he was saying. “You are doing fine. You are strong. She is good, but wait until she sees your backhand and your serve. Take a deep breath. You are going to be okay.” That’s when I saw the owner of the voice.
Words spoken softly by a father, meant only for the girl who was struggling on the court to hear: his daughter. And hear she did. I watched her do exactly what he said. She paused, took a deep breath, and nodded ever so slightly as if to say, “I heard you. Thank you.”
I couldn’t help but watch the father. He was sitting in a lawn chair a few feet away from his daughter, but he was not leaning forward, stressing at her every move on the tennis court. Instead, he was relaxed, calm, and confident in what she could do.
He knew that his daughter had panicked and was struggling to focus on her skills, training, and ability. And he was right. As the girl listened to her father’s voice, she regained her composure and her confidence and ended up beating the other girl to win that set, the next ones, the match, and the tournament. She knew her father’s voice. She had heard it before. She knew he spoke the truth and that he could always be trusted to lead her in the right way.
My heart instantly focused on God’s voice. He is never panicked, never worried, never afraid, and never rushed. Never once has God spoken to my heart to “hurry this second and do what I say or something bad will happen!” He is never wrong and has had to correct His directions for me on the journey He has me on. Not once.
The world, on the other hand, is full of opinions and worries and fears and bad advice. People - sometimes even friends - will steer you toward the opposite of God’s plan for you. And the only way you will know 100% what you should do is to listen to the voice of the Father. How will you recognize His voice in the loud craziness of this world? By being in His Word daily. By talking to Him in prayer. By asking Christian prayer warriors to hold you accountable. By ignoring the advice of the world that you can do whatever you want to do.
The voices all around us are loud and compete for our attention. They are full of opinions and advice and worry and fear and lies. As for me, the only one I need to listen to is the Voice of the Father.
Father, help me to stay in your word and in your presence daily so the only voice I will listen to is your voice of truth. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
R.A.P. it up . . .
Reflect
Have you ever had a situation with several opinions and voices and you struggled to decide what to do?
Did you pray and ask the Lord to speak truth to your heart, or did you listen to the world?
Apply
Pray daily for guidance with each decision you have to make. Be patient.
Remember that God never panics or makes mistakes; wait on His answer.
Power
John 10:27 (NIV) “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
John 10:14-15 (NIV) “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
Proverbs 18:10 (NIV) “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.”
(For more of Nancy Hughes' writing, check out her blog, Encouragement from the War Room.)
