‘Hear My Voice, and …follow Me’ John 10.27

In the office where I work, there are a number of cupboards and fire safes that are locked overnight for security, and each morning, the first one is to open them up. In my first week in the job, the occasion arose for me to open the cupboards. I soon discovered that the fire safes were particularly difficult to open. I was about to give up when a colleague told me the trick. ‘Turn the key slowly and listen for the click’. I listened to the advice, and sure enough, after a few turns I heard a slight ‘click’, and ‘hey presto!’ the door opened.

It made me think about how we Christians feel inclined to give up on certain prayer requests because the doors are not opened. We need to ‘turn slowly’ – spend more time in prayer, and not just ask, but spend time to actually listen to the Lord for a ‘click’.

We find it easy to talk on and on at the Lord, but in fact, prayer is two-way communication. The Lord has many things to say to us too. The ‘click’ on that fire safe door is ever so slight – you can only hear it when you are close to it and there is not much noise around. It is important that we find a quiet time and place to hear from the Lord. Oh, what a challenge in these days of mega-busy schedules! ‘ And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone’ Matthew 14:23. Jesus managed it – so should we!

The first time I opened the fire safe I had to turn a few times before the ‘click’. Sometimes we may not receive a definite answer right away, but we must persevere like the widow with the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8), listening and believing that the Lord will answer. ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ Matthew 7:7-8.

Now when I am first into the office and I go to open the fire safe, I have no trouble with it. It has almost become second nature because I have gotten used to listening out for the click. The more time we spend with the Lord, the more we will be familiar with His voice. ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me ‘ John 10:27

Don’t give up – listen for the ‘click’!