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Week 3: Listening to the Father
Listening for My Name
Week 3, Day 3
Fill in the following two blanks:
I am most excited to hear my name when it is called __________________________________.
I most dread hearing my name when it is called ______________________________________.
John 10:3 (NIV)
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
My mom has a unique name. Not many people are named Jocelynn and if they are, they even more rarely have two N’s at the end. When we hear her name, we immediately turn, thinking that it is in reference to my mom. We know her name and smile when we hear it spoken. My name, however, is not as unique. At a family retreat in Cochabamba, Bolivia, there were three “Michelle”s in attendance: a toddler, a teen, and myself. Needless to say, the toddler was most often the Michelle being called, but I turned to look. Every. Single. Time. And since I know that Michelle is not a unique name, I shouldn’t be surprised when there is more than one Michelle around. The funniest time there was a confusion of names was when I was in Bogota, Colombia, on a Sunday. There is a brother there named Michel (French for Michael, and how my name is pronounced in Spanish). So when the announcement came that Michel would be leading singing this morning, I froze, until I remembered that I was not the only “Michelle” in attendance.
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Week 3: Listening to the Father
Listen to Who He is,not just What He says
Week 3, Day 2
Be still and know that He is God.
Cease striving.
Stop fighting.
Psalm 46:10 expresses each of these sentiments. God is in control. And if we will be still, cease striving, and stop fighting, we will know and remember that He is God.
However, my spirit is often far from still. I feel anxious. Questioning. Doubtful. Focused on listening to the Father’s voice, I have been disturbed by some of what I hear. Have I been so focused on my own thoughts and driven by my own desires—an interpretation of what I think God’s will is for my life—that I have ceased listening? Henri Nouwen said, “How sad it is that thinking often makes prayers cease.” And prayer is listening as much or more than it is speaking.
So I will be still. I will cease striving. I will stop fighting the war within me.
And I will KNOW that He is God.