February 9, 2005

[Rev. Doc]

Hear His Voice

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."
John 10:27

In northeastern Uganda, clashes are occurring between rival tribesmen. Cattle rustling is a major problem in Uganda. During the dry season, when local communities move with their herds in search of pasture and water, rival tribes seek to steal each other's cattle. The cow is the center of the tribal value system.

In one incident, one tribe made off with more than 600 head of cattle, the Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF) operations officer in eastern Uganda, Lieutenant-Colonel John Baptist Mulindwa, told the BBC. The Ugandan army daily attempts to reunite cattle with their owners. The biggest difficulty lies in proving ownership. The BBC's Nathan Etungu witnessed the process beginning in a village north of Mbale. He told the BBC's Network Africa that when an elderly woman stood before the herd a remarkable thing happened. She called her cows by name and to the amusement of the soldiers, as each cow heard her voice, it lifted its head and then followed her. As far as the army was concerned, it was as strong a proof of ownership as one could find.

Prayer: Ask the Lord help you have such a close walk with Him, that you recognize His voice above all the other noises of the world.

"Observe, when the disciples were in the saddest condition, how one word from Christ revives them; it is a sufficient support in all our afflictions to hear Christ's voice speaking to us, and to enjoy his favorable presence with us."
~William Burkitt

[Felix]

That story really made me think about God's ultimate ownership over us. How he calls each of us by our names and we answer. Thanks Doc!