Scripture
Exodus 31:18 “When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.”
Proverbs 7:1-3 “My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
John 10:2-5 “The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
Gal 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
Observation
I loved the progression in today’s readings. First we have Moses receiving the ten commandments in tablets of stone. Later Solomon tells his son to write his commands on the tablets of his heart so he will live. Then Jesus tells us that he is the Good Shepherd. He tells us that if we are His then we will listen to His voice and we will run away from a stranger’s voice. Finally, Paul tells us that we will reap what we sow, so it matters which voice we listen to and follow.
All throughout today’s readings we are reminded that God’s ways are good for us. He loves us and cares for us. We are reminded of Psalm 23’s beautiful picture of the Lord as our Good Shepherd, how he cares for us. “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.”
Application
Jesus tells us that HIS sheep listen to HIS voice and no other. I know that through my day I am busy and often very distracted, and I hear many voices. I don’t even realize how chaotic things are until I catch a verse of Scripture somehow and then it’s almost as if everything goes silent and I hear a still small voice. Has that ever happened to you? Or have you ever been to a Thomas Kinkade store at the mall? You are going merrily (or not so merrily) along, you come across the store and go in, you see beautiful artwork with Scripture underneath, and everything around you just seems to change, if only for a few seconds or minutes. You hear His voice, and it’s a beautiful voice. Right there in the mall, among many voices that are suddenly on mute…
Prayer
Lord, I love those times when I’m just grazing along in life and then I hear the sound of your voice – the Good Shepherd. I long to hear it more. I am convicted that I have not made your Word the priority it needs to be in my life. Please help me get back on track so that I can hear your voice every morning and keep it with me through the day.
Sixty-six books in a year 