Do You Hear That?

Two men were walking in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Suddenly one said, “Listen! I hear the sound of a cricket. Do you hear that?”

“No,” came the reply, “I didn’t. If you heard it, I wonder why I didn’t.”

Taking a coin from his pocket, the one who heard the cricket dropped it on the sidewalk. Suddenly people stopped in their paths and immediately began to look for the coin.

Watching the people look for the coin, the first gentleman said to his friend, “We hear what we listen for.”

Occasionally the shepherds’ flocks of sheep would get mixed together while they were grazing or drinking water from a quiet stream. When it was time for the shepherds to go their separate ways, one of them would raise his voice and make a specific sound that was familiar to his sheep. Suddenly, his sheep would start to run and gather around him as though drawn by a magnet. They knew his voice and when he called they responded.

Jesus once said, “My sheep recognize My voice; I know them and they follow Me.” Oftentimes, Jesus, our Shepherd, calls us to follow Him. But too often we are too busy listening to the “calls” of this world.

Prayer: Help us, Father, to have ears that are listening, minds that are open and hearts that are willing to hear Your voice and follow You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Scripture for Today: John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.