Who Are You Listening To?
A devotional by Patricia Russell
“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”
—John 10:3-4 (NIV)
Anyone who has grown up in a West Indian or African household will agree on one thing: When you are called by your parents or an elder, answer quickly.
Taking your time or choosing whether to answer or not is not a luxury you get to enjoy. Additionally, make sure you’re responding to direction from your parents instead of your friends! In these households, instruction took priority over anyone else’s. I cannot confidently say that today in this era that statement remains the same. Between the government, schools and society, many voices compete for our allegiance. However, in the Kingdom of God, the rules have not changed. God’s voice reigns supreme and there is a blessing that comes with it.
When we look at the life of Abraham, he was promised a blessing through his offspring because of his obedience. Genesis 22:15-18 (NIV) reads: “The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
Because one person obeyed, the generations to follow would receive something they had nothing to do with. Isn’t that mind blowing? Because Abraham listened to the voice of God and obeyed, the effects of his obedience went beyond his lifetime. So, whose voice are you listening to? Whose voice reigns supreme over your fears, your doubts, and your insecurities? We still get to choose who to listen to.
Remember, free will is a gift God gave to every human being. He desires we choose Him over the enemy (Satan). The enemy of our soul comes to steal, kill and destroy us (John 10:10). That will never change. The devil has no intention for you to prosper or to have hope. But your Heavenly Father does! He loves us unconditionally and He has good plans for our life.
Let’s learn more about God’s plans for us by reading Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) that says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God has good plans for us! Plans to prosper us. Plans that don’t involve harm. Plans to give us hope. Plans to give us a future. Everything associated with the enemy is death. But everything connected to God brings life and Jesus Christ has come so we might have life abundantly (John 10:10).
So how can we know the Lord’s voice? Let’s address this on a personal level: How do you know the voice of your parents, siblings, and friends? You’ve spent time with them. You’ve heard them speak repeatedly. You’ve spent time with them to know how they behave and treat you and others. When you hear something out of the ordinary about someone you know and love, you stop and question it because what you’re hearing does not match what you know. The same is true with the Lord but even better the Word of God, the Bible tells us in Hebrews 13:8 (NIV): “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Jesus doesn’t change. His voice, His behavior, His word will never change. We can completely trust Jesus all the time. I encourage you to spend time with Him and read His word (The Holy Bible). When you know Christ’s voice, you know where to find comfort, encouragement and direction.
Knowing God’s voice allows you to know when a stranger is speaking. Let’s look at one more lesson from life: We learn from a very early age, to run from strangers. Concerning strangers, although they try to speak in the “voice” of our parents, we know instinctively that something is wrong. We sense danger, so we run away from those people who are not our parents or guardians. Let’s know the voice of our Savior so well that nothing can make us doubt Him. Let’s learn to run to Jesus, not the world. Only Christ brings the comfort, support, hope and healing we need.
Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving us and telling us in your Word that You love us. Help us to hide your Word in our hearts so we won’t sin against You. Help us to know your voice so well that nothing will make us doubt You. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
Song of Reflection #1: “I Just Want to Know You” by Andrae Crouch. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Patricia is a worship leader, songwriter, speaker and compiler of her 2020 best-seller anthology Stronger Resilience: Stories to Empower the Mind, Body and Spirit, as well as Lord I Trust You: Words of Encouragement, to encourage readers and share life lessons during her cancer journey.
Patricia writes, speaks, and teaches on the power of God’s Word to heal and empower you to become all that you are purposed for. She has traveled internationally and shared her gifts with audiences to encourage, empower and share life lessons through word and song. Patricia has sung on national television broadcasts and shared the stage with several respected speakers including Anne Graham Lotz and Rev. E.V. Hill.
Her greatest joy is being married to her husband, Wayne, for 34 years. Together they serve the community through their local congregation as well as providing premarital and marriage coaching. They have two adult children, Raquel and Benjamin. As a two-time breast cancer overcomer, Patricia coaches’ others to develop resilience and live life to their fullest.
Patricia has released two gospel music recordings: “Draw Me Nearer” and “Lord, I Trust You”. In March 2022, she launched her podcast “Becoming Resilient” which can be downloaded wherever you get your podcasts and also seen on YouTube.
When not reading or studying, Patricia loves to eat Thai food and spend time with “Lucy” – her daughter’s Yorkie-poo who has taken up room in her heart.
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Connect with Patricia:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrussellsings/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pat.russell.98877/
Email Patricia: patrussellsings@gmail.com
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