Are You Listening?

 

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 ESV

Recently my husband put up a temporary fence for our cows to allow them to eat some of the nice green grass in our yard. I should have prefaced this by saying I'm a city girl and 23 years ago my husband "Green Acre'd" me to rural Tennessee. Then we bought land and it was too much to mow, so our neighbor said, "Get some cows and I'll help you when you need it." So here we are on 17 or so acres with a few cows and donkeys. (the cows in the distance are our neighbors) 

Back to the story of the fence. With the field drying out he thought it would be a great idea to give them some extra grass. He set up the fence, got a bucket of feed, and lured them over. For the three in the bottom picture, it took little coaxing. They saw that there was nice green grass on the other side and that their owner/protector approved, so they went. Those cows have been happily eating green grass for the past few days.

The one lone cow stayed put. It stares at the other cows, longs for the green grass, and is lonely in the field. But that lone cow is obeying the rules that the owner/protector originally set up. It is being a good cow according to those old rules. Maybe it thinks those other cows are wild and unruly and thinks of itself as the good cow. It's doing okay out there. It's getting by. But it could be doing so much better if it listened to its owner/protector.

I can sometimes be like that one cow. God has given me a job, so I'm going to stick to it. But what if that job was just for a season, and He has something different for me? Or what if He wants to expand what I do? Am I listening and trusting enough to follow the new directions?

Writing has been one of those things for me. For years I have been raising children, teaching them, leading Bible studies, and doing women's ministry. Then one day God began laying out the task of writing as a form of ministry. One thing led to another and I've published two books with more on the way.

I'm not always quick to follow, but I do want to be listening so I recognize when God wants me to change things up. That can be a challenge when I feel comfortable with what I'm doing, or when the possible new thing looks daunting. 

One thing I am learning is that when God calls his people to do something, He will provide. Following God's direction is not dependent on us having special skills or a certain amount of money or influence. The God that made the universe from nothing can certainly pave the way to accomplish anything through me or you.

Proverbs 19:21 ESV - Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

Isaiah 46:8-10 ESV - "Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, 9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,'

As the new year draws closer, draw near to the one who gives you breath -- the one who suspends the stars in the sky. Spend time with Him daily. Look into His word. Take time to listen to Him, and check what you think He is saying with His word. Sometimes the boundaries in our lives are ones we've created, not Him. They may be holding us back from something much more wonderful -- something that makes His name big and glorifies Him.