Encouragement for Your Week: November 16-22
This Week’s Verse
After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.
—John 10:4–5 (NLT)
Devotion
Jesus has gathered us into His flock, and He still speaks to us today. He speaks through the Bible, through sermons that are based on His Word, through wise and godly friends, through children, and even through the quiet voice of our conscience. He speaks so that we can follow Him in the right direction and live the way He wants us to live.
Those who belong to Jesus recognize His voice because the Holy Spirit lives within them. Before Jesus left the earth, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide His followers (John 14:16). When we sense Jesus speaking to us in any of these ways, it’s the Holy Spirit who helps us know it’s truly His voice. Without the Holy Spirit’s help, we wouldn’t be able to tell which voice to follow.
But not every voice we hear is from Jesus. The enemy also speaks—Satan and his followers try to influence us through media, ungodly leaders, negative influences at school or work, and even our own wandering thoughts. These voices try to pull us off the path God wants us to walk.
Thankfully, the Holy Spirit helps believers tell the difference between Jesus’ voice and these strange voices. He gives us wisdom and discernment to recognize when something isn’t from God, so we don’t get led astray. Without the Spirit’s guidance, we’d be easily fooled by the noise around us.
There are voices everywhere, all trying to get our attention. Stay close to Jesus, listen for His familiar voice, and let the Holy Spirit guide you to recognize the truth.
This Week’s Challenge
Each morning this week, spend a few quiet minutes reading a short passage from the Bible and then sit in silence, asking the Holy Spirit to help you recognize what Jesus is saying. Take it a step further by writing down any thoughts, impressions, or verses that stand out to you, and reflect on how they guide your choices throughout the day.