My Sheep Know My Voice
The other day while I was walking, I saw two little boys and their dad riding their bikes together.
They were coming down a big hill in our neighborhood and the boys took off zooming down the hill, far past their dad who was still up around the corner.
I then heard him yell “Boys, stop and turn around, you’re too far”
Ooof.
God was IN that moment for me.
I watched as the little boys immediately stopped and turned around and headed back up the hill to their father and I thought, how like God is that?
Sometimes, we take off down the hill, speeding and zooming to places that look fun, but are probably dangerous if our Father is not there with us. God used this moment to remind me of so many beautiful things.
The first was that the boys recognized their father’s voice, even when they were far away and had wandered off where they were not supposed to go. They were so familiar with the voice of their father, that when he said, “Woahhh stop and turn around!” They knew it was him and immediately obeyed.
God reminded me of how important it is for us to know Him intimately and spend time with Him every single day, because it is only when we are familiar with our His voice that we are able to easily recognize it and listen to obey. God has reminded me lately that hearing Him, requires knowing His voice intimately and personally. Not the way I know 4+4= 8, but the way I know my little sisters voice because it is written on my heart.
The second thing God reminded me of in this moment was His grace.
These little boys probably knew they weren’t supposed to get out of dad’s sight, they had probably been told before, “Don’t speed down the hill”, and yet there they were, speeding down the hill. But their father didn't stop loving them or caring about their safety and well-being because of it. He called them back to himself, just like I'm sure he'd done many times before. That is the undeserved and unmerited grace of God. May we never abuse it or take it for granted, but always be in awe and live a life full of praise to the Lord who gives it freely to those who love Him.
How often do we let the distractions of life pull us in and lead us away from walking closely beside our Father? How prone are we to wander form His side? Yet God in His grace and love, leaves the 99 to find the 1 every single time. He calls out to us, “Stop! Turn around!”
Not to keep us from something, but to protect us.
In His wisdom, just like these little boys father, God knows when we are headed for danger. He knows when we are too far, and He lovingly calls us back to Him.