We can identify family and friends and many public figures by their voice. Jesus tells us that His followers hear His voice and that He knows them and they know him. But, do we listen for the voice of Jesus? Do we know the voice of Jesus? Do we hear the voice of Jesus in the needs and concerns of our family, our friends, and strangers – through the people and events in our lives.
What do we do when we hear His voice telling us God’s will for us? Jesus challenges us to be and to do all that God created us to be and do; to love the unlovable people in our lives, to challenge the evil we see in our world, to take the risk of being rejected, ostracized and abused for standing up for the forgotten, oppressed and persecuted. If our first response may be “No!” we probably just heard the voice of Jesus. It is part of our human nature to resist loving the unlovable, to shy from a challenge, to avoid the risk of actions that may bring retaliation from others. Our second response might also be “No.” But our final response must be “Yes Lord!”
