Francis Gayang csc –
Readings: Acts 13: 14,43-52; Rev 7:9, 14-17; Jn 10:27-30
The Word of God is eternal; it is the foundation of life. Applying it in my daily life, I witness that ‘word’ is the first step to everything. From creation to destruction, word is the main player. Words can kill, also can give life.
The word is a double-edged sword that promotes life if wisely communicated. If not, it can also be a harmful weapon that can cause conflict. If a human word can have such an impact on my life, what about the word of God, who is the ‘giver’ itself? Whatever has been spoken and recorded in the Holy scripture are matters to be taken to heart.
Learning to recognize the signs of God needs wisdom from God. The signs require to be read with the heart of godly fear. Otherwise, my ways will be misinterpreted as God’s ways.
As a Christian, I am called to recognize God’s sign that comes in various ways and interpret them in a way that builds the body of Christ here on earth: not what I think should be but what I know to be right in accordance with the word of God. This is possible only if I am really a sheep of the Father, who knows the voice of the Father.
To distinguish Father’s voice from the worldly noises, I need to spend enough time with him, to get familiar with his ways of communication and voice, which speaks in the silence of my heart.
If I am still having difficulty listening to His voice, most probably I need to understand that by praying to God is not the same as listening to God. Let us invite God to own every moment of our life by saying “speak Lord for your servant is listening” (1 Sam 3:10) so that no one will be able to snatch us from his hands.