He speaks into my life
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life. Psalm 23:6
Read John 10:27—30
Let me think back over today. My Lord, who is the shepherd of my soul, assures me that he speaks into my life, into my days, and that my lived days provide me the opportunity I need to hear his voice. So I must pause now. I must reflect. I must. It will be to my good if I do. And I will ask, when have I heard the voice of Jesus this day? What is it that I now know was the voice of Jesus? His word to me, what was it? Was it strong and clear? Was it easily mistaken? Do I need discernment, even now, to hear what it was that he said? Did it have to be at the margins, and mistakable, or was it actually there in bold, in everything? And will reflecting in this way actually change the way I venture into tomorrow? One thing, two things, I can say. One is that as I have heard the voice of Jesus, so the Father has spoken to me, for he and the Father are one. The other is that whether I have heard clearly or doubtfully, obediently or reluctantly, I can dwell on these things greatly secure. I am secure in the Lord’s hand. These things I am thinking about are the words of life.
Prayer
Master, Lord, Shepherd, Good, Good Shepherd, your word to me is life. Your word to me is the word of the Father, your Father and my Father. Your word to me, and my listening for it, saves me from triviality, from what merely diverts and distracts me from reality. It is not idle gossip. It is centred on all that the Father has given to you. This is what you give to me. It is rich. It is treasure. It blesses. Your word fulfils the promises of God, and it fulfils me.