Nonna’s kNOWledge

by Carolyn Joy

Be Still and Listen for the Voice of God

Did you know that sheep in the first century recognized the voice of their shepherd? Likewise, Jesus related this fact to those watching and listening to Him preach. In John 9, Jesus heals a blind man and restores his sight. The nearby Pharisees and Jews were more concerned about the man’s sin than they were about his healing miracle. Jesus spoke in a parable to them in John 10:2-5 (ESV), “But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Jesus used illustrations that Pharisees, Jews, and Gentiles could relate to. In Jesus’ time, the shepherds would graze their sheep during the day. At night, they found a sheepfold, a stone wall about four feet high with only one opening. Each shepherd usually tended about a hundred sheep. Eight to ten shepherds would gather their sheep into one sheepfold. One shepherd, called the porter, would stay at the opening of the sheepfold to guard the sheep from predators. The other shepherds would go to town to sleep. In the morning, the shepherds returned and called to their sheep. The sheep knew the voice of their own shepherd and followed him out of the sheepfold. Because of their relationship, the sheep recognized their shepherd’s voice and followed him.

In John 10:27 (ESV), Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Jesus taught the crowd who gathered that those who believed in Him— who had a relationship with Him—would know His voice and follow His teachings.

God created us with a desire to be in relationships

In many modern-day set-ups, shepherds and farmers no longer need a personal relationship with their sheep. Farmers brand their sheep with a marking so everyone knows who owns which sheep. They often use electronic fencing to keep the sheep in place and helicopters to round them up. Sheep in these settings don’t know the voice of their shepherd because they don’t spend time with their shepherd.

Today, many people are like those modern-day sheep who lack personal relationships. We have become a society of people buried behind phones, iPads, and computers. We often spend more time sending text and Facebook messages, emails, and tweets than talking to and building personal relationships with people. Our distraction with multiple electronics and keeping up with answering screens rather than people has separated us from having personal contact. If we are not careful, our modern-day obsession with electronics may distract and hinder our relationship with our heavenly Father.

In John 14:6 (ESV), Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Are electronics or other things on your to-do list distracting you from a personal relationship with God? Do you know the voice of God? Do you seek to hear Him? Do you stay still long enough to hear Him speak?

God created us with a desire to be in relationships, and He wants a personal relationship with us. He wants to hear our prayers and our worship. In return, He speaks to us—leading and guiding us. When you seek God’s will and follow His lead, you will experience peace. When God speaks to you concerning a particular matter, peace will settle deep within your spirit.

Seek God Now. Be Still Now. Wait for His peace to rule and you will hear the voice of God.

Nonna’s Chuckle:

One day while speaking to my daughter on the phone while she was driving, my voice was broadcast via Bluetooth into her car. Without the typical unimportant, can’t-wait interruptions of her two daughters—now seven and nine years old—I asked, “Where are the girls?”

“They’re right here in the car with me.”

Surprised, I chuckled, “Wow, they’re being so politely quiet.”

“Hi, Nonna!” they piped up.

“Oh my, you girls are being so good while your mommy and I talk!” I wanted them to know how proud I was of their manners.

Almost in unison, they both remarked, “When we just sit quiet back here and listen, we get our best information from the two of you!”

Carolyn Joy is a Southwest Florida Real Estate Agent, mother of three married children and Nonna to eleven grandchildren. She serves in her church and helps lead a women’s Bible study in her community. She’s the author of two devotional journals, The Overflow of the Heart and Let Your Heart Overflow with Joy, which encourage scripture memorization and writing prayers. Her novel, Out of the Grey Zone, demonstrates God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and unconditional love.