September 12 | John 10:27
DAILY READING
REFLECTION
The First Voice We Hear
By Carmel Elmer
Did you know that at 18 weeks a fetus can hear? Like many first-time moms, I wanted to do everything right to protect and care for my babies. Even before I was pregnant with my first child I soaked in every bit of information I could from, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” to watching probably too many episodes about rare birth defects on Discovery Health Channel. I didn’t just want to be a mom. I wanted to be the best mom I could be.
I honestly loved everything about pregnancy, even that queasy, half sick feeling because I knew it meant that my body was changing in amazing ways to accommodate a growing new life and, from the moment I saw that positive pregnancy test, I felt a special bond with both of my kids. I realized that my voice was the first one they would ever hear and I began a secret dialogue with them probably long before their tiny little ears were developed.
According to Google, at 18 weeks and only the size of a cucumber, a baby can hear his mother’s heartbeat and, by 23 weeks – a little over halfway through a pregnancy - he can hear the muffled sound of your voice. I was talking with and singing to my babies long before they could even hear me, but when they were born, it was impossible to deny that they knew my voice. When I spoke, they both stared at me with eyes that could barely focus and my voice had a calming effect. They knew my voice and they followed it with their eyes every time I spoke. When I was away from them, they wanted me near and sometimes, just the sound of my voice, instantly got their attention and calmed them.
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
Maybe like me, you don’t always recognize God’s voice. Even though he’s been speaking to me for my entire life I find myself begging Him to tell me what to do far too often. The problem is, I’m not always ready to listen. There are so many voices competing for my attention and it’s far too easy to get distracted, but like my brand-new babies, I want God’s voice to be familiar and calming no matter what may be happening around me.
This world we live in seems chaotic lately and I must confess, that I don’t always hear God speaking to me in the chaos. But every morning, cup of coffee in hand, I open my bible and there He is. I have come to realize that my early morning time with God is not just a good thing to do, it’s my lifeline, but it hasn’t always been my routine.
Like Pastor Aaron shared a few weeks ago in his sermon, there was a time when I reached for my phone or turned on the news first thing in the morning and the distractions set the tone for my entire day. It wasn’t until several years ago, when it felt like my world was completely falling apart, that I reached for my dusty bible and started listening for that familiar voice again. My situation didn’t change, but I did.
If you are having trouble hearing God’s familiar voice, consider the distractions that may be louder and turn down the volume. Leave the phone on the table, turn the TV off, and instead; pray, read scripture, listen to a devotional. Do whatever it takes to make room for God’s familiar voice to calm your chaos. Be like that unborn baby who can only hear one voice speaking and turn toward that voice.
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27-28
PRAYER
Like a newborn baby hearing his mama, or a sheep following the sound of her shepherd’s voice, we pray that we will hear You, Lord. We want to know You so we can follow You and receive the eternal life that You give even in this world of distractions and chaos. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand all that You want us to know so we will follow You and no one can snatch us out of Your protective hand.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CARMEL ELMER
I have attended UALC for nearly 25 years, but faith has always been at the center of my life. My mom was an incredible role model, demonstrating a trust in God that surpassed any circumstance. I will always be grateful for her incredible example of faith, and I pray that one day, my children will say the same about me.
Thanks for this devotional Carmel, it moved me. When He told us to be fruitful and multiply He meant something for us as He always does. As a father I can’t begin to comprehend the depths of what you expressed anymore than I can the depths of His love, but every little bit helps.
When our daughter was little, we would read her Bible stories. I loved this one from John, and she learned the story before she could read. At 3 she could read me the story based on the pictures and would always say "the seep hear my voice." As an adult she doesn't recognize his voice the way she once did. But I know he's speaking to her, and someday she'll recognize that it was him!
Perfect message for today's world. Aaron's message comes back to me as you said...reach for the Word not the World's message.
Carmel, just a simply beautiful, meaningful devotional. Thank you!