Do You Hear His Voice?

          An old story goes like this:

            A man who wanted to teach his nephews and nieces about the reality of the living presence of Christ in our lives asked them, “Where’s your mother?”

            “Upstairs,” answered one girl. 

            “How do you know?” 

            “I saw her go,” she replied. 

            “You mean you saw her start to go upstairs,” corrected the uncle. “Maybe she didn’t get there, or perhaps she’s not there now.”

            “Oh, I know she’s there, because I just called her, and she answered me,” said the youngest child. 

            The uncle continued his questioning, “Did you see her?” 

            “No, but she spoke to me and called me by my name. I know her voice, and I know it was Mother!” 

            “You are right,” said the uncle. “And in much the same way that you know your mother is upstairs we can know that the Lord is alive and in our lives. He speaks to us and we just know it is His voice.”

Following Anybody

            Moody’s Anecdotes tells the story of a man who was traveling in the East. He heard there was a shepherd, who continued the custom of calling his sheep by name. The traveler went to the man, and requested, “Let me put on your clothes and take your rod, and I will call them and see if they will come to me.”

            The shepherd agreed and watched as the stranger called to one sheep, “Mina, Mina,” but the entire flock ran away from him. The traveler then asked the shepherd, “Will none of them follow me when I call?”

            The shepherd replied, “Yes, some of them will; the sick sheep will follow anybody.”