Reflections
Psalm 95: 1-2, 6-7, 8-9 (Read)
"Oh that today you would hear His voice."
Knowing God's will is hard enough;
discernment is a gift from God.
But even if we are gifted enough to
be able to discern God 's will,
can we have the courage and conviction
to actually do His will? Today more than
ever we need to hear His voice. As God the
Father said, “This is my beloved Son
with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”
In the Gospel, Jesus instructs the disciples
how to do all they have been commanded.
As followers of Jesus, we too are to do all
that we are obliged to do.
Doing the will of God must have been
difficult even for the disciples, hand picked
by our Lord himself. How much more so is
the will of God a challenge for ordinary
persons like us? Even the disciples must
have been in awe of what Jesus was
commanding them to do.
“Harden not your hearts.”
Our spiritual history is full of occasions
where the faithful were known to have
hardened their hearts and refused to listen
to God's voice, though they had seen
His works, as our psalmist mentions.
But after all, He is our God, as the psalm says,
and we are the people he shepherds.
Our job is to kneel before the Lord who
made us and to carry out His will the best
we can. And if we are careful to listen
to His voice, He will empower us to do
His will, just as Jesus empowered the
disciples to rise up to the challenge of
the great commission and to become ordinary
men performing extraordinary deeds.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist encourages us not to harden our hearts
when we hear God's voice. Do you find it difficult sometimes
to carry out God's will in your life even if you believe
He is speaking to you? Give an example.
2. The psalm reminds us that we are like sheep and the Lord is
our shepherd. Are you willing to be just an ordinary sheep among
His flock? If so, what does it mean to you to be shepherded
by the Lord?
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