Hearing His Call

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

My sister Katrina used to tell the story of how, despite growing up in a Christian home, she had walked away from her faith for a time.

During the day, she distracted herself with a full round of activity, noise, and friends. But nights were a different story. Though she tried to tire herself out so she would fall asleep quickly, she didn’t always succeed. And in the quiet of the night, she was faced with silence and the weight of her own choices.

One night, just as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard a gentle voice call out, “Katie!”

Turning on her light, she looked around the room but saw nothing. Yet, she felt convicted by the call.

“Katie was the name that those who loved me and knew me best always used,” she said. “I felt strongly that it was God.”

A little while later, she heard the voice a second time. Again, like Samuel, she felt sure that it was God gently calling her name (see 1 Samuel 3). As a result, she decided to recommit her life to Jesus.

While many of us have never audibly heard the voice of God, he calls to each one of us through his Word. The stories Jesus told his followers—about the shepherd who left the ninety-nine sheep to find the missing one, the doctor who came to heal those who knew they were sick, and the loving father who welcomed his prodigal son home—serve as reminders of just how much Jesus continues to pursue us. Even when we walk away, he is always and already looking for us. He is the God of second chances and seventy-seventh chances. We are his children, and he knows us by name.

Yet, you and I have the opportunity to choose how to respond. May we listen for his call and the nudges of the Holy Spirit, responding with obedience and gratitude.

Kristin

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Thank God for his persistent pursuit of your heart.