Do You Hear His Voice

3/3/2022

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.   John 14:1-5

Have you ever been lost in the woods all by yourself and could not find your way?  It can be an anxious time and even a bit terrifying. Being lost is bad enough but being by yourself makes matters that much worse.  That was my situation a few years back.  I got separated from a group and found myself wondering around a very large forest that I was unfamiliar with. I always prided myself in having a good sense of direction, but with no compass and no cell phone I finally had to admit to myself I was lost. With that realization, the forest began to look and feel very overwhelming.  The sounds of the woods grew louder as my anxiety fueled the moment. Just as total frustration set in, off in the distance I heard voices calling my name. Hearing those voices instantly brought relief to an anxious situation. It was the voices calling my name that provided the focus and direction needed to find the way out of the forest.

In these passages in John 14, Jesus is the voice providing direction, focus and comfort to all who will hear. He starts off with the admonition that we all need when stress and anxiety surround us – “Let not your heart be troubled”. However, many of us are like Thomas and still aren’t sure of the way. It is then Jesus gently offers a firm affirmation that yes, He is the True way for those who are wondering and a way out of the forest. Jesus as the living Truth is the way to life and His voice is calling to all who will listen.