“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” – Psalms 23:1-6 KJV

A good shepherd is eager to tend to the needs of his sheep; he makes it his objective to protect and guide them away from trouble, so as to lead them to that which will satisfy their needs. So also does God do the same for His children. Yet people are often led to doubt that God cares for them in this way, because they allow the cares of this world to keep them from hearing His voice and seeing that He’s there. What they fail to understand, however, is that a shepherd doesn’t always have to make direct contact with his sheep in order to love them and carry out that which is most needful to them. In other words, just because the sheep may not feel the shepherd’s touch or see him standing near, that doesn’t mean he isn’t at work, thoughtfully watching over them from the shadows. And so it is the same with God; that is, just because we don’t see Him or feel His touch, that doesn’t mean He isn’t near to us or that He doesn‘t care. It just simply means that we really aren’t seeking Him as earnestly as we would like to believe.

Perhaps life has dealt you a few too many blows and you’re beginning to question God’s love for you. Maybe you’ve been waiting to receive an assuring word from Him, but it seems like you’ve got nothing but silence and unanswered questions. You might even think that He isn’t there to hear your cries for help or that He doesn’t care about you. Well, God isn’t silent; He speaks all the time, and loves you very much. But have you really been seeking Him? Are you being honest with God? Are you being honest with yourself?

The Bible says,

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” – Romans 15:4 KJV

Indeed, these words make it very clear that God has already revealed His thoughts to us through the Bible. Therefore it’s not a question of whether God is speaking or not, but one of whether you’re allowing Him to communicate with you as He sees fit. It’s a question of whether you’re really listening to what He has already said, concerning His love for you.

So, will you listen to what He has to say to you in the Bible? Will you let Him counsel you in this way? Will you let Him be your Shepherd? There’s so much that He desires to reveal to you. If you would just listen and let Him open your eyes, you will hear His voice and know that He’s there. Thus, you will come to know Him as The Good Shepherd who watches over you and tends to all of your needs. But you will need to open The Bible to see things more clearly.