Would you recognise God’s voice if He called to you? Here’s Jonathan, our Youth Minister, with our latest blog post!
It’s lambing season and fields around Devon are currently covered with ewes and their newly-born lambs. Farmers are over tired, trying to keep their flock safe and waking up at all hours of the night to feed orphans or help deliver stuck lambs.
Yet, in the midst of the relentless workload, there is a real sense of excitement when lambs are skipping awkwardly around the field or try to feed near their mother ewes as new life springs up everywhere.
A few weeks ago, I was walking through a sheep field with a shepherd who was calling one particular animal which she had hand-reared the year before. None of the sheep seemed to take any notice, apart from one animal in the furthest corner which instantly looked up. After a few more calls this sheep started to walk, then suddenly broke out into a full sprint to run towards her and place its head on her shoulder.
Afterwards I reflected on this experience and suddenly a passage in John’s gospel gained so much more weight for me: In chapter 10, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a shepherd calling his sheep. Later in that same chapter, Jesus says: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.”
As we approach Holy Week and journey with Jesus to the cross, we are reminded that God calls out to us and that we are able to recognise His voice, too. We are not only known by the Creator of the universe but we are able to walk, run and sprint into the arms of Jesus and rest our head on his shoulders when we feel overwhelmed, tired and worn out.
Yet, recognising his voice takes time and practice: None of the sheep in this field reacted to the shepherd’s call apart from the one that was hand-reared, which begs the question: Would you recognise God’s voice when He calls you?
This week, I want to encourage you to sit down in your favourite chair for a few minutes to spend time with God, to pray and speak with Him, but then be quiet to listen: listen to the sounds around you; listen to God calling your name and learn to recognise His voice in your life so that you can run towards him, too.
Have a great week,
Jonathan Schnarr Youth Minister
St George & St Paul, Tiverton