Belonging to God

"He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."
John 8:47

At first glance, these are harsh words Jesus spoke. But when I really look at the scripture, I find great encouragement. Jesus did not say these things to condemn me, he said them to reveal a vital truth to me.
    Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees. They relied on their heritage and the laws that were given them, for their spiritual lives. Jesus wanted them to know that somewhere along the way, they had lost relationship with God. Yes, he had given the laws, and the stories they read and heard about their ancestors chronicled wonderful things that God had done. And Yes, the Pharisees were Jews, the chosen people of God. But they had no connection with God at all. The laws had become their God. There is an application for us here. We need to check our lives continually to make sure we do not fall into the trap of the Pharisees. Our relationship is not with God's laws, it is with God himself. We are not saved by religion, we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. God help us to not become like the Pharisees!
    The encouragement from this passage of scripture is absolutely critical for us to understand. In the beloved children's book, Charlotte's Web, there came a critical point when Wilbur the pig, had a breakthrough. All the other animals had the ability to talk. But Wilbur, the newcomer to the barn, could not. So they encouraged him to try. When he did, a few words came out. Soon, he was talking all the time. I think we need to have this same kind of experience. You see, we can hear God! We can hear exactly what he has to say. How is this possible? There is only one explanation: We belong to God!
    How critical it is for us to understand that we belong to God. When we realize this, it opens up the greatest ability anyone could ever have; the ability to hear God speak. Our Christian lives are built on an understanding that God is actively working in our lives. Part of that foundation is the truth that he is always speaking to us as well. I often think that life would pretty dull if God never spoke to me. I live my life expecting him to speak...and he does. He is also speaking to you, if you have a relationship with him. His voice may be different than you are used to hearing from other sources. It is sometimes soft, and so subtle that you must pay careful attention to hear. Sometimes it is loud, bringing clear direction for us. But with practice, you will always recognize it. Don't condemn yourself, thinking that you may not belong to God. You do. And because you do, he is speaking to you. Listen up! In fact, I am confident that he is speaking to you right now, saying: "You belong to me."