“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”  Isaiah 43:1 ESV

A Pastor friend of mine recently sent me a short video where the speaker was illustrating how his daughter would call him and only say “hey” and he immediately knew it was her.  He explained that he had spent so much time with her that he instantly knew her voice through all background noise.  Beautiful and true for most any parent involved in their child’s life.  The speaker then went on to outline that when we spend time with God, we simply need to utter “hey” and our Father in Heaven instantly knows and responds to our voice.  He does.  What a beautiful promise.

I was late to the party of being a father.  I spent years hearing the ‘noise’ of kids and oftentimes being aggravated by these sounds.  Then, after giving up all hope of being a worthy husband and father, God did what he so loves to do and delivered the desires of my heart.  An honorable wife deserving of a husband who honored her.  Then almost as soon as we were married, three exceptional kids full of life and whose noise I cherish more than any other sound on Earth.  I know their voices above the background noise all around us and they know the various tones of my voice.  I am theirs and they are mine, all of us blessed with the sweet voice of their mother who guards and guides.

My hearing is failing from years of shooting too many guns without proper ear protection.  I am faced with the ongoing decline in my ability to hear or the option of hearing aided by technology that allows me to continue to hear Megan’s beautiful voice and the sounds of our children’s voices that fill me with joy and purpose.  I am choosing hearing aides and surrendering the vanity of self for Megan’s sanity to not have to repeat to me constantly, and to hear the melody of the beautiful voices of our children and harmony of life around me.  (For some of you, I may choose the ‘Off’ button at times.)

I chose the hearing aide of the Bible and the teacher, Jesus Christ now 18 years ago.  An imperfect life whose hearing and heeding of the Father’s voice has grown and continues to grow daily.  He knows my voice and I know his.  I spend time with him, too often sacrificing this life-giving time for outside noise, yet he waits patiently for me to call out to him and never once has he said, “you don’t have time for me so I don’t have time for you.”  He always says, “I love you.  I am yours and you are mine.”  He affirms me.  He confirms me.  He is the still, small voice of almighty power and omnipotence that knows my voice.  He desires to know yours more and more intimately.

So my encouragement to you today is press in and press on.  Press in to the never-ending love of God the Father, who loves you unconditionally and desires an intimate, one on one relationship with you.  Press on to the the purposes of your life in this season of your life.  By allowing yourself to be pressed, the resulting outflow of life, experience and preparation will be a blessing someone desperately needing blessed.  By allowing the surrounding pressure like that of a warm blanket tightly wrapped around you will emit the heat of hope to someone cold and hopeless.   

Know the Father’s voice.  He knows yours.

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”  John 10:14-15

You’ve got this.