Recognizing the Father’s Voice
John 10: 27-28 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.”
The chapter in Chasing Solomon titled, “Following Fathers”, illustrates how every little boy wants to be just like his dad and the awesome responsibility and privilege it is to help shape and mold the life of a child. It also talks about how our Heavenly Father wants to shape and mold us into His image. All we need to do is hear His voice and follow Him.
Ever since our boys were toddlers, I could blast out a certain shrill whistle to get their attention. Over the years they learned to recognize it as being my signal to them. As young boys, they could be playing out in the neighborhood and I would go to the front door, do my whistle and they would recognize it was their father calling them in. I remember family vacations at the beach, where the boys would go for a swim out in the ocean. The beach would be noisy and full of commotion, and more times than not, the boys would drift further and further out to sea. I would whistle out to them and they would recognize it was their father and start heading back in. I was amazed that they had grown so attuned to their father’s beckoning. Amidst hundreds of other voices, in spite of the roars of ocean waves, they could recognize their father’s call to them and know it was time to come back home. Even as teenagers today, I can still get their attention because they recognize their father’s whistle. I will whistle to them at their ballgames to let them know how proud I am of a play that they just made. Above all the noise of the other fans, they can recognize how proud their father is of them because they have learned to recognize their father’s signal.
Our Heavenly Father does the same thing. He lovingly watches us always. When we find ourselves drifting into the dangerous deep waters of life, He calls out to us. Some times we are completely aware that we are drifting into dangerous water, and other times we may be completely unaware. As His children, we recognize His voice calling out to us. Above all the noise and chaos and temptations we face, if we have grown attune to His voice, we will hear Him calling us back to Him.
Pay attention and listen closely. Don’t let the world’s voices drown out the Father’s call. Train your ears and heart to hear Him and respond to His calling at all times and in all situations, however noisy the situation may be. And know the purpose of why He is calling you back. It is not to take the fun out of life. It is because He loves His children so much that He wants us to have the abundant life that can only be found as we fellowship and abide in Him.
