In March, I read a very touching article about a British man who was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND), better known in the United States as Lou Gehrig's disease. As a result of this neuromuscular degenerative disease, he would eventually lose his voice, and ultimately because there is no cure, he would lose his life. While the disease is tragic in and of itself, to make matters even more heartbreaking, at the time the article was written he had a 13-month old son.
Knowing the rapid progression of the disease and that there was a good possibility that his son may never hear his natural voice, this man decided to record 1,600 sentences for a computer program that would break them up into individual sounds and then piece them back together again to form words under his control when he would be forced to speak through a synthesizer. He wanted his son to hear his authentic voice complete with his regional accent.
He said, "He [his son] is the key motivation for me to record my voice so that if my voice is lost, he can still hear what his dad sounds like. I might be able to read him bedtime stories; your voice is part of your identity. He can maybe also hear what I sound like when I am no longer here."
The voice. It is a powerful instrument.
It is an amazing thing, a parents desire to be able to communicate to their children throughout life. To be able to comfort and guide and teach, and to have their child know their voice distinct from all the rest so that their child will be able to say unequivocally, "That is the voice of the one who loves me!"
What a touching story of this man with MND. As followers of Jesus and thus children of God, it is our story as well.
Jesus, referring to all who would follow Him as sheep and Himself as the Good Shepherd responded to His critics saying,
“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10:3-5
You know, the child in the news story mentioned above will hear many voices throughout his life; aunts, uncles, teachers, professors, friends, bosses, politicians, movies, music, television, news reporters, etc. The gift his father is giving to him will afford him the privilege of being able to distinguish his father's voice from all others. What an invaluable gift!
As deeply as the father in the story desires to be able to communicate love and fatherly instruction to his child – whether present or absent - so much more does God desire to communicate His love with those who follow after Him.
YOU are the main motivation that God sent Jesus to be a living testament to God’s love. YOU are the main motivation that God sent His Holy Spirit to continue to communicate His love after Jesus left. YOU are the main motivation that God caused men to write the #1 bestselling book of all time – the Bible – so that YOU would have a handbook, a written reminder of the identity, nature, character, instruction and desire of your Father in Heaven.
God speaks to His children in three primary ways:
1. Through the written/spoken word/scripture (the Bible);
2. Through Providence (God’s care and guidance manifested in the physical realm, e.g. nature, events, people); and
3. Through His Holy Spirit (the Spirit of God communicates directly to our spirit).
Do we take His promise of communication for granted? Or do we regard it as a special privilege?
It is true you know... listening is an act of love!
In this life, in this day and age, particularly with the technological advances, we are bombarded with many voices. It is easy to lose our way. But the promise we have is this: that if we are His sheep, we will KNOW his voice.
What station in life are you currently in dear reader?
As a believer, you have a promise that you will know His voice. Whether it be through the written word of scripture, His Spirit, or through providence, God’s desire to communicate with you has never diminished.
Are you listening?
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