My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me... John 10:27
Akule, a Native American and his friend, Aaron were visiting in downtown New York City, walking near Times Square in Manhattan. It was during the noon lunch hour and the streets were filled with people. Cars were honking their horns, taxicabs were squealing around corners, sirens were wailing and the sounds of the city were almost deafening. Suddenly, Akule said, "I hear a cricket."
His friend replied, "What? You must be crazy. You couldn't possibly hear a cricket in all of this noise!" "No, I'm sure of it," Akule said, "I heard a cricket!" "Well, that's just crazy!" replied Aaron.
Akule, a Native American and his friend, Aaron were visiting in downtown New York City, walking near Times Square in Manhattan. It was during the noon lunch hour and the streets were filled with people. Cars were honking their horns, taxicabs were squealing around corners, sirens were wailing and the sounds of the city were almost deafening. Suddenly, Akule said, "I hear a cricket."
His friend replied, "What? You must be crazy. You couldn't possibly hear a cricket in all of this noise!" "No, I'm sure of it," Akule said, "I heard a cricket!" "Well, that's just crazy!" replied Aaron.
Akule stopped and listened carefully for a moment. Then he walked across the street to a big cement planter where some shrubs were growing. He looked into the bushes, beneath the branches and sure enough he located a small cricket. Aaron was utterly amazed.
"That's incredible," Aaron said. "You must have super-human ears!" The native smiled... "No, my friend," he said. "My ears are no different from yours. It all depends upon what you're listening for." "But that can't be!" said Aaron. "I could never hear a cricket in all this noise!"
"Oh yes, it can be Aaron," came the reply. "It just depends upon what is really important to you. Come, let me show you!"
As Akule reached into his pocket, he pulled out a few coins and discreetly dropped them on the sidewalk. And then, with the noise of the crowded street still blaring in their ears, they noticed every head within twenty feet turned and looked to see if the money that tinkled on the pavement was theirs.
"See what I mean?" asked Akule. "It all depends on what's important to you and what you are listening for!"
-Author Unknown
We all make sacrifices for the things we want and love. Many of us will give up anything that gets in our way, just to achieve our desires, our dreams and our goals. Plenty of us will stop at nothing until success is ours?
So, I wonder... what do we give up to know our Lord Jesus, just a little more each day? Do we desire to experience his resurrection power... or to be a counterpart in His suffering... would we even walk all the way with Him to death itself??
A sheep may spend the night hours, penned in with other herds, still in the morning when the shepherd calls, that sheep knows his shepherd's voice. It knows the shepherds voice because it listens as it follows the shepherd closely, on a daily basis.
In our longing to know Christ Jesus more intimately, anything and everything must go that stands in our way. We must know His voice when He calls of from the walls that embrace us.
Do we know His still small voice? Do we hear Him beckoning us to come to Him? Are we tuned into His sweet harmonic whispers? If we are to walk fully in His love, experiencing His joy and knowing complete peace in the storms of our lives, we must know His voice.
So my friend, "What do you hear, from the shepherd?"
"That's incredible," Aaron said. "You must have super-human ears!" The native smiled... "No, my friend," he said. "My ears are no different from yours. It all depends upon what you're listening for." "But that can't be!" said Aaron. "I could never hear a cricket in all this noise!"
"Oh yes, it can be Aaron," came the reply. "It just depends upon what is really important to you. Come, let me show you!"
As Akule reached into his pocket, he pulled out a few coins and discreetly dropped them on the sidewalk. And then, with the noise of the crowded street still blaring in their ears, they noticed every head within twenty feet turned and looked to see if the money that tinkled on the pavement was theirs.
"See what I mean?" asked Akule. "It all depends on what's important to you and what you are listening for!"
-Author Unknown
We all make sacrifices for the things we want and love. Many of us will give up anything that gets in our way, just to achieve our desires, our dreams and our goals. Plenty of us will stop at nothing until success is ours?
So, I wonder... what do we give up to know our Lord Jesus, just a little more each day? Do we desire to experience his resurrection power... or to be a counterpart in His suffering... would we even walk all the way with Him to death itself??
A sheep may spend the night hours, penned in with other herds, still in the morning when the shepherd calls, that sheep knows his shepherd's voice. It knows the shepherds voice because it listens as it follows the shepherd closely, on a daily basis.
In our longing to know Christ Jesus more intimately, anything and everything must go that stands in our way. We must know His voice when He calls of from the walls that embrace us.
Do we know His still small voice? Do we hear Him beckoning us to come to Him? Are we tuned into His sweet harmonic whispers? If we are to walk fully in His love, experiencing His joy and knowing complete peace in the storms of our lives, we must know His voice.
So my friend, "What do you hear, from the shepherd?"
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