Oh, what beautiful weather we’ve been having! It is only March, but it looks and feels like mid April! I have been taking a daily walk each day enjoying and watching as Spring unfolds before me. Every day a new variety of flower is springing up from the earth and the air is full of the fragrance of their blooming. All the gardens along the sidewalk are full of daffodils and are now joined by the hyacinths in full bloom. The magnolia trees have just opened up these past few days, as temperatures have risen into the 70’s, even here by the shore. What an awesome sight to behold! It is so important to take the time to quiet our souls before the Lord, Our Maker and the Maker of heaven and earth.
I’ve been noticing more birds around as Spring approaches. They are gathering materials and building their nests. I was sitting out on the porch swing listening to their calls and to their songs the other day. A mourning dove was perched high up in a tree cooing, reminding me of my flock on the other side of town. At least I refer to them as my flock. I’ve been watching them for years now. Many years ago there was a pair of mourning doves that nested each year across the street from my house in a white pine. I enjoyed observing them and watched as their numbers grew from year to year. They would awaken me each summer morning with their cooing and in the evening, as the sun was setting, I would enjoy the peaceful, soothing sounds. In the winter they would seek shelter from snow storms by perching on my porch. I’m noticing that there aren’t as many doves back at the old homestead any longer. They seem to have been scattered by the Cooper’s Hawk who has taken up residence over there. In recent days I’ve observed an increased number of them where I’m residing now. Little do they know that not far from here, there is a Peregrine Falcon perching and eyeing its prey upon the gate pillar at the entrance to town.
I’ve been reminiscing about a particular day a few years ago. I had been watching the doves from my upstairs bedroom window. They had perched all around the outside of the house and some sat on the rooftop of the cottage next-door. They were calling back and forth to one another and I decided to have some fun and see if I could trick them. I began to imitate their call and see if I could get them to answer me. I could always tell the inexperienced birds from the older ones, for they weren’t as wise. The older ones were suspicious and would tilt their heads and watch me with uneasiness. The younger ones could be fooled. My call sounded like the rest to them and they couldn’t tell the difference. I hid behind a curtain and cooed to a young bird on the roof of the cottage. He bobbed his head up and down and tilted his head, cooing back. He listened some more and flew to the porch roof. He moved closer and closer until he was right up against the screen of the window. I peeked out my head from the curtain and he realized he had been tricked!Why do I share this little story? The Lord has been teaching me this past week about the importance of hearing His voice and not listening to the voice of a stranger. He has been reminding me of being in that place with Him of sweet communion and fellowship. In that place were He is so much a part of us, that we are at one with Him. This is where He desires us to be. I was in such travail this past week. I had turned away from this blog post, defeated by the very subject of which I was writing. I thought maybe if I backed off, the torturous thoughts would subside and leave me be. It is hard at times to follow the Lord and proclaim His Word! I usually plow through it, refusing to give the enemy his way, but I was too weak this time to realize what was happening. I always pray the Lord will give me life giving words to share with all of you and I often sense the Holy Spirit empowering me. The enemy tries to thwart it any way he can! This time it has been with accusations and unrelenting thoughts of failure! I was working on the post and doing some research when all this self-condemnation came heaping up on me. The enemy preys upon our weaknesses in subtle ways. One thing led to another until I was beside myself with anger about my situation and my own short comings and seeming failures! I couldn't get out of it, even though I had been receiving words of freedom, of life, of not being bound to what is past, etc. Have you ever been given a word from the Lord, you think you've received it and then it is tested? I can't believe I stooped so low! I listened to the accuser. My blog post is based on John 10 and not listening to the voice of a stranger, but rather hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As I thought about that time I outwitted the dove, I thought about this portion of scripture. I thought of how I had allowed my guard to be down, listening to the voice of a stranger, rather than to my Good Shepherd. It wasn’t until I was brought down that I realized I had followed the voice of a stranger. Before the Biblical account of Jesus declaring to be the true and good shepherd, we have the account of the blind man who was healed by Jesus and receives his sight. The Pharisees (religious leaders) had confronted this man who declared, “One thing I know; that though I was blind, now I see.” This man had such a life changing experience, that he was never the same. He was thrown out of the synagogue for proclaiming that Jesus had healed him. Jesus hearing that he had been cast out went out and found him. He declared to this man that He was God and the man said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshipped Jesus. Some of the religious leaders were near by and Jesus then addressed them. He turned the subject from physical sight to spiritual sight.
My dear friends, those of us who have also declared, “Lord, I believe!” have received our sight as well. Many times we feel like outcasts in the midst of religiosity. Let us not be afraid to proclaim Him boldly and unashamed. Let us draw into His presence and worship Him for who He is and what He has done for us! Jesus then turned the conversation from sight to hearing. May we be in such close communion with Jesus, that we aren’t outwitted by the voice of another. In John chapter 10 Jesus says:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
“But He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep,
“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
“And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
The Pharisees didn’t understand what Jesus was saying, so He said to them again:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
“All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me , he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (NKJV)
It is so important to come to that place in our walk with Jesus that we know His voice! He is the door by which we enter in. Others have come and still come, false teachers and false prophets. Do we know His voice enough to discern what is truth and that which is falsehood? The enemy would steal from us our joy, kill our hopes and destroy our lives, but our Good Shepherd has come to give us life. He wants to lead us in and out of green pastures as we follow His voice, rather than the voice of a stranger; who would lead us into the depths of despair and hopelessness. How well do you know His voice? Are we like that young dove who was so easily deceived? Or do we know Him so intimately that we aren’t deceived by the voice of another? Who are we listening to?
May you experience His life Abundant today and every day! May you hear the voice of your Good Shepherd!
