Noises in the Night

I've heard a lot of talk in recent years about really listening to God's voice.  Super-Christians would begin sentences by saying things like, "God told me to...."  And I always wondered how they knew it was God's voice telling them to do that thing.  I wanted to be able to hear the voice, too. 

It's funny that when God begins to speak to you, it can be a little scary.  It's scary because you don't recognize his voice... yet.

I remember being a kid and laying in bed one night listening to the sounds of the night.  It was eerily silent, and everyone was asleep.  But from my lonely room on the other side of the house my ear was tuned to a creepy sound.  It was like a zombie dragging his chains down the hallway.  I was frozen under my covers, paralyzed with fear.  That zombie was coming for me!  "Squeeeeeek-thump, Squeeeeek-thump, Squeeeeeeeek-thump", was the sound I heard until finally my tired eyes could take no more and I drifted into slumber.  The next morning, when I woke up and went into the den, I saw clearly the source of the previous night's angst--my grandmother's parakeet swinging on his perch.  In the light of day, suddenly everything was illuminated.  There was nothing to fear.  It was a little parakeet.  In a CAGE,  for crying out loud. 

Another night, I heard a tap-tapping at my door.  Tap-tap.  Tap-tap.  Tap-tap.  The blanket pulled tightly around me, my heart racing, again I laid there paralyzed with fear.  Daring to peak over the covers, a sliver of light peeked out from under the door...along with a pair of furry gray paws--our cat, who just wanted in so he could curl up and go to sleep on the end of the bed.  It wasn't the bogeyman. A prowler to be sure, but seriously--it was only a cat. 

I think sometimes we hear God talking to us, but it's like we have our fingers in both ears, and we're saying as loud as we can, "lalalalalalalalalalala" because we're afraid of what he might tell us.  It's easier to stay in the dark, hide under the covers, frozen with dread.  Why take a step?  Why turn on the light?  To confirm our biggest fear?  What if our biggest fear was our greatest opportunity?

Satan wants to keep us in the dark, a slave to our tremblings.  If he can keep us there, then he can make us think that a harmless parakeet is in fact a frightening zombie.  He can convince us that the kitty is the killer.  Step out into the light.  Jesus is calling.  He can cage the parakeet and tame the cat, and he can give you the courage to listen to his voice, to recognize it,  and act on it, even when you think you're in the dark.  He will never lead you astray.