Martin Van Der Heide- 2015

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, what- ever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:4–9 (NIV)

Sometimes the smallest choices change the direction of our lives. God and Satan are both at work around us and others. Both whisper into our ears – directly or indirectly. In John 10:27 Jesus says “my sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. Verse 5 speaks of how they will never follow a stranger because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.

The other day I could not receive the Sound of Life on my car’s radio. I pushed another button for another channel... and nothing. I went to my phone to look in my app for the Christian stations I have visited in the past. The Bridge was found on 99.7FM so I tuned my radio in for the station. But what I saw first on my phone was the name of the program that was playing on the Radio – “Watch the Road”. It was as if God was speaking to me. Since I was going to drive to work, I would need to watch the road. Although I was just reaching to find another radio station, God was giving me a map of His Plan. The message that was preached was amazing. I was blessed because I decided to follow the Master’s voice.

We need to understand that in very subtle ways Satan is whispering in our ears. If we crank the loud music on no Christ-centered stations, we will not hear a message from God very often. We also need to understand that the decisions we make now will have a ripple effect not only in our lives but in others. God tells us “seek me while I may be found”. If we were to die it would be too late.

What is keeping us from following Christ? Why are we not looking to join in on a Bible study once in a while and bring that friend? Why is it we are afraid to share our faith with co-workers? Why is it we say we will wait until we finish high school or later to join the church? God wants us to follow Him now! Listen to the Master’s voice. Turn the phone and the TV and the music off.

In the quiet of your own heart, talk to God and let him talk to you. Amen.