Devotional thoughts for the Week of February 5, 2012 – Breaking The Sound Barrier

The sound barrier, in aerodynamics, is the point at which an aircraft moves from transonic to supersonic speed. The term, which occasionally has other meanings, came into use during World War II, when a number of aircraft started to encounter the effects of compressibility, a collection of several unrelated aerodynamic effects that "struck" their planes like an impediment to further acceleration. By the 1950s, new aircraft designs routinely "broke" the sound barrier (wikipedia).

In spiritual development, we disciples need to break a different kind of sound barrier.  We need to move beyond hearing messages from pastors, musicians, devotional materials, and other people.  In order for any individual to mature as a child of God, he/she must learn to hear directly from God.  The Holy Spirit speaks in clear, personal ways to believers, showing us the way to go and the words to say in different situations. 

Too many Christians, even after years of attending church and following Christ, never break that sound barrier.  They remain like toddlers in their faith, never learning to receive spiritual nutrition from the Word and the Spirit. In John 10, Jesus compares himself to a shepherd who takes care of human sheep.  Real sheep learn to recognize and trust the voice of their shepherd so much that they will not follow anyone else.  In the same way, children of God are to know Him so well that they recognize His voice and will not take direction from anybody except Him.  Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me.   They know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I give my life for the sheep” (v.14,15). 

Believer, do you know the voice of your Shepherd?  Do you hear the Holy Spirit nudging your heart to say (or refrain from saying) specific things in the middle of a conversation?  Do you hear Him remind you to stop and pray, or to rein in your anger, or to give spontaneously to someone in need?  One role of the Holy Spirit is to guide us into all truth (John 16:13).  He reveals truths about God, truths about situations, and truths about ourselves if only we will listen.

I learned to listen (at least some of the time) to the voice of the Spirit in my 20’s.  After I got married and had kids I was so distracted that I rarely heard Him.  In 2004 I shared with a group of women the idea that each of us would write up some of the lessons God had taught us over the years, and share them with those who were younger in the faith to encourage them to know and trust God.  Somehow, I ended up writing most of them and have been writing weekly devotionals for more than 7 years now.  The reason that I enjoy writing these messages is that it has helped me to re-learn how to listen to the voice of the Spirit.  Every week I need to ask Him what He wants me write, and listen for His answer.  That exercise in listening has been vital to my spiritual progress.

If you are struggling to live as a believer, if you often feel defeated as you try to do what is right, I encourage you to come near to the Good Shepherd.  Ask Him to help you learn to know Him and to hear His voice.  It is a prayer He delights to answer.  Breaking the sound barrier has changed aviation.  In an even greater way, breaking the spiritual sound barrier by learning to hear the voice of the Spirit will change your life.  I encourage you not to settle for less.

Lynn