Christian Reflection and Prayer

How does God lead?

"My sheep recognize my voice; I know
them, and they follow me. I give them
eternal life, and they will never perish."
John 10:27-28 NLT

Hearing His voice

As our Good Shepherd, Jesus promises that
we can hear and know His voice. This does not,
however, have to be some mysterious, mystical
process. In fact, you may be surprised to learn
that God speaks to you quite often. I would
venture to say He has spoken to you lately and
may be speaking to you right now in some way.

God speaks to us through His Word. God will
never lead us contrary to His written Word. It is
our litmus test, our bedrock, our absolute.

God speaks to us through circumstances.
Those circumstances can include failure. Jonah
certainly heard God through his mistake. God
may even speak to us through tragedy or
hardship. C. S. Lewis wrote that, "God whispers
to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience,
but shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to
arouse a deaf world."

God speaks to us through His peace. When we
live in God's will, we enjoy His peace. Do you
need God to make a crucial call in your life?
Then listen for His peace.

And once we have heard God's voice, what
should we do? We must follow. Jesus calls, we
respond. He whispers, we move. We follow —
and then we keep on listening.

Adapted from Breakfast with Jesus by Greg
Laurie (Tyndale House) pp 243-45

"For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my
youth." - Psalm 71:5

Even when we are facing terrible loss and disappointment,
God is our hope. Trust in Him and let Him be your strength.
You don't always have to carry the weight of the world on
your shoulders. Let your heavenly Father help.

 “Stop, Drop, and Roll.” Whenever there is a dangerous fire –
anger, desire, or passionate emotions – stop what you are
doing, drop the issue for a while, and roll on with your life.
You can revisit it later with a clearer head.

How many relationships could have been saved if a
conversation could have been put off for a day or two. How
many less regrets would we have if we took time to cool
down when things heated up? Angry? Try writing a letter to
the person you are angry with. Don’t send it, but revisit it
the next day. Tempted to eat something that is bad for
you? Go for a walk, take a drink of water, and then think
about what you really need at that moment.

God only gives us challenges that we can overcome –
sometimes we just need to level the battleground.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

(excerpts from Holy Land Moments­)