“To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.” (John 10:3-5 KJV)
What does one do when help is needed? Most of the time, we tune out everything and everyone except the one who helps us. We listen carefully and quietly while the helper is guiding us through our need. And maybe, we reach out to touch the one who is helping us.
Hear the soft, calm voice of God, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 KJV). Calmness in the face of fear and anxiety. Calmness in the face of trouble and sorrows. Remember that God is and that He rewards those who diligently seek him (Heb. 11:6).
When a person looses sight, he/she needs a guide in order to re-orient life. The guide steps up in front of the unsighted person and gently says, “Take my arm. I’ll walk a little ahead of you.” This is continued until the sightless person becomes comfortable to negotiate the obstacles of life.
There are unseen hallways, doorways, stairways, dangerous obstacles and situations. Yet, the sightless person gains comfort and confidence in the guide out front. He/she may hear strange background noises: music, tinkling glasses, scraping chairs, crying babies and so forth, yet he/she trusts the one in front to guide safely.
From time to time, we may identify with the sightless person. We need someone out front who can see the situation — our circumstances — clearly and knows where all the obstacles are. When those times occur, like the Psalmist we cry, “Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God” (Psalm 83:1 KJV). We tune out the distracting background noises and listen to the calm voice that will guide us to our safe destination.
Dear Father, thank you for guiding us. When the noise around us threatens to muffle your voice, enable us to listen more intently and not be distracted. I pray this in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be courageous today as you listen to the guide,