Learning to Hear Love
Scripture: Matthew 4:1–11; John 10:1–5
Lent begins in the wilderness. Jesus does not rush through it or escape it; he listens within it. The temptation stories are not about willpower so much as discernment…learning which voices tell the truth about who we are and who God is. Jesus resists the voices that promise control, certainty, and spectacle, and instead trusts the quieter voice that names him beloved.
Jesus later says, “My sheep know my voice.” This is not a rebuke but a reassurance. The challenge is not that God is silent; it is that we are often overwhelmed by noise. God’s love begins with presence…with a voice that calls us by name and does not abandon us in the wilderness.
Practice: Each day this week, take five minutes of silence. Do not try to hear anything specific. Simply notice what voices compete for your attention, and gently return to the truth that you are held by God.
Prayer: Loving God, help me recognize your voice amid all the others. Teach me to listen with trust. Amen.
Reflection: