What is God saying to you?

The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. John 12:29-33

In today's passage, we see two types of people -- those who experienced the power of God and believed and others who refused to believe. Whenever we encounter God, there are these two responses.

Even though today's text points to God's power and presence, some attempted to explain away God in terms of science by stating that it had thundered. We must remember that when we encounter God, we have a choice, and we can choose to believe and follow Him or try to explain away His power with science, logic, or other means.

As we journey in our faith, let us remember that our encounters with God sometimes challenge our understanding and beliefs. We may be tempted to explain them away or ignore them altogether, but we must choose to have faith and trust in God's power and presence in our lives.

Jesus tells us that the voice was not for his benefit but for ours. God speaks to us for our benefit, to guide us, and to help us grow in our faith. God wants us to hear His voice so we can follow His will and live the lives He has planned for us.

Dear Church, what is God saying to you today? Let us not ignore His voice, but hear, trust, and obey Him.