"Spoken To"

 "To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out." (John 10:3 KJV)

  "He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close behind me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me." (Psalm 23:2-4 NLT)

 Yes, He speaks to me, in so many ways! There sometimes is audible voice, as I heard last night, while I was praying myself to sleep, thinking about this verse, I heard, "Are you listening?" You know, if you hear a question like that, you should probably pay close attention and ask yourself to focus in on what is being said. When God speaks a question to you, you should always pay attention! 

 Yesterday I heard a beautiful message from Pastor Jon, regarding the Tabernacle. In the setup to his message, he spoke about being at a school walking down a hallway, hearing all the noise behind the doors of the classrooms. When he passed by the 3rd grade classroom, it was very quiet, so he peaked into the door and saw all the kids were sitting on the floor, as the teacher was reading an illustrated story to them. 

 Kids love illustrated stories; it captivates their attention and helps them form pictures by which they can join in and be a part of, as they magnify the story within their minds. A little bit of information about God, the Master Illustrator: He has given us a Masterpiece of His own creation: The Holy Bible! I know I am a little old fashion, so don't misunderstand; but it really saddens me to see so few people with Bibles at church; most people will only have their phone or tablet.

 Don't get me wrong, I am not judging, but simply saying what I see happening. As Jon said it, the Tabernacle was an illustration of Jesus Christ, who, being God in the flesh, tabernacled here on this earth, meaning, that He pitched His tent among us. The Tabernacle in the wilderness was the picture of Jesus Christ that was to come: an illustration of God's salvation and glory, mercy and grace, holiness and fellowship, all in one! 

 Anywho; it spoke to my heart about how important it is to hold my Bible. Not that it is some sort of thing to be worshipped, but that it represents, as in a work of art, The Word of God! We can never get too much of it, because He never has nothing to say; the more we read His word, the more we listen; the more we listen, the clearer the illustration becomes. 

 And what makes it all the more wonderful, is that we become part of the story...

"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one - for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one - for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us." (Romans 8:31-34 NLT)