When Jesus Calls your name.
"Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, 'Rabboni!' (which means 'teacher')" (John 20:16). Mary recognized the presence of Jesus when He called her name.
You and I are not likely to hear Jesus audibly call our name while living on this earth. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son." The primary way the Lord speaks to us today is through the Bible, which reveals Jesus to us and equips us for every good work.
( 2 Timothy 3:16-17.) “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
We shouldn't be expecting an audible voice from a burning bush. Frankly, I'm skeptical of Christians who claim God speaks a direct, personal word to them more often than all the prophets combined. Visions and revelations are rare. We should be searching the Scriptures where God communicates His will very clearly. And every claim of a personal directive should be aligned with the Bible, which is given by inspiration of God.
But the Lord may summon you through a traumatic experience or an overwhelming blessing, and you need to be sensitive to His tender call.
Maybe Jesus is tenderly calling you today.
Whether you hear Him calling you or not often depends on the condition of your heart more than your ears. Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Mark 4:9). We hear with our ears, but there is a deeper kind of listening with the mind and heart that is necessary in order to gain spiritual understanding from Jesus words.
Because you are reading this that proves you want to truly learn and grow. Jesus: words are for the honest seekers. That’s you. God Bless you. Listen and learn.
Pastor Paul Leavens