“Can You Hear Him Now?”

I woke up this morning in Kearney, Nebraska, with Revelation 3:20 on my mind. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

My Lord whispered this in my heart. Immediately I knew He wanted me to give some careful attention to these very familiar words He had spoken to the Laodicean Church. “Yes, Lord,” I responded. “My heart is open to a fresh look, to whatever You want me to understand.”

But wait, you may ask. Did Niquette really “hear” Jesus’ voice? Actually? Literally?

Humbly, I say, “Yes.” I have learned to seek and find the Lord as a discipline of my spirit. The promise is true: 'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.’ Jeremiah 29:13. Sometimes Jesus waits for my initiative. Will I miss Him, look for Him, seek for Him, wait for Him?

There are other times when I am aware that Jesus is seeking me. I sense it in my spirit. It is not hearing with my physical ears, but my spiritual ears. Remember, Jesus finished this letter to this church by saying, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches” (3:22).

An old hymn put it this way, “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me.” He is taking the initiative. His soft and tender “voice” can be discerned in the awakening of my heart by His Spirit, intertwining with His truth within the flow of my thoughts. I sense His nearness, and it awakens in me a desire to return, to get close, to submit to His love. So, I take action by opening my heart and mind wait expectantly for . . . more of His fullness!

Let’s take a closer look at Revelation 3:20. We often use these words of Jesus to introduce people to the His seeking heart and desire to begin a personal relationship with Him. The initial opening of one’s heart is the transforming moment of salvation. But the broader context is to a church that had grown lukewarm to the Savior’s voice. He was being ignored in a smug, self-satisfied religious spirit. In the wonderful patience and love of Jesus, He makes this awesome promise to those who will repent and open their eyes to see spiritually what He offers to them: Follow along:

🡺 Behold. See. Wake up and fucus on something right in from of you. There is a barrier (door) between you and Jesus. This barrier obscures both your sight and the sound of His knocking and voice. It can be removed by your choice.

🡺 I stand at the door. The verb form (perfect, active, indicative) shows that Jesus came to our heart door and at present He continues to stand there ready to be acknowledged. I don’t have to wait for Him to come; He’s already standing right there, right now, in readiness, to respond to our response.

🡺 And knock. Again, the form of the verb (present, active, indicative) indicates that He is continually knocking and calling at present. Repent, meaning, turn around and listen. Believe what Jesus is saying. His knock and His voice are discernable to those who believe what He has just said.

🡺 If anyone. The Greek indefinite pronoun, tis, leaves it up to us to respond. The Holy Spirit is actively drawing you into conversation with Jesus. Don’t battle the “Sovereignty of God/Free Will of Man” debate right now. Just listen spiritually and respond in faith. “Speak, Lord! I’m eagerly listening.”

🡺 And (if anyone) opens. This is an indefinite conditional clause. I may or may not, but if I act to take initiative and open the door, I encounter a most thrilling promise right from Jesus our Lord.

🡺 I will come in to him. He promises to do so. Faith treats this as spiritual reality. The verb here is in the MIDDLE voice. As He responds to our openness, Jesus is blessed. It is what He desires. It is like He sought Adam in Eden. It is what He made us to experience – intimacy with His majesty.

🡺 and (I will) eat with him, and he with me: This is amazing. We have an “iterative” conversation, which mean back and forth, input and response, question and answer – fellowship the one with the other.

What does that look like? Well, let me humbly offer that you re-read this blog post. It is how it was composed. He knocked. I opened. He shared. I questioned. He answered. I was convicted. He loved me in a healing way. He loved me. I loved Him back. My thoughts were being spiritually enhanced by the Spirit’s thoughts. The Spirit was taking personal words from Jesus and revealing them to me, as promised:

John 16:12-15. 12 "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.

Softly and tenderly, Jesus called to me this morning. I responded to His Knock, His voice by giving Him my full attention in my spirit. He shaped my thoughts by His indwelling Spirit. I opened to a fresh conversation with my Friend. I believe He was pleased. I know I was thrilled. In responding to His voice today, we talked. And I came to experience . . .

More of His fullness!