Holding God to the Letter

     "My sheep hear my voice," Jesus says. Some Christians believe that the only way to "hear His voice" is through the written word of God. They, in essence, hold Him to the "letter". Let's look at the "letter" to examine something. Didn't Peter, when he was sleeping on the rooftop, have a dream about eating all things, and told, by the Spirit to "go to Straight street"? And, wasn't Paul compelled by the Spirit to do this an do that, being given direction by God in this way throughout His walk with the Lord. And, when John was on the isle of Patmos, wasn't he shown many things and even told many things by the angels when he was there?
     Alright, we'll give it to the cessationists (people who believe that was then, this is now and God only worked through the original disciples in that way to spread the word) for a minute as a possibility, because they didn't have the written New Testament word then. But, the big "proof", I believe, is that if they would have stuck to the written word, which was the old testament, they would not have believed that Jesus was who He said He was. The "religious" leaders and people did just that. They held God to His written word, the Scriptures, and denied Him. The ones opened to His Spirit, heard his voice which validated that He was indeed the Son of God.
     Even today He says His sheep hear His voice. Let me give you an example, from my own life, to make the point clear. One day I was making my bed, and I heard Him say to me, "Saying 'yes' to me is saying 'no' to many other things." He said that to me, and He has shown me time and time again  that it is true, verifying that it was Him who said it.  In other words, I have had to consciously say "no" to many things that would vie for my time and attention, to follow the path He's layed out for me in my life, so that the things He wants for me, will be fulfilled. You could say what He told me is backed up by the written word that says, "If you lose your life, you will save it," or "Your life is not your own, you were bought with a price." But the particular words He spoke were spoken to me personally, and the words as spoken, were not written exactly like that in His written Word.
     Let's not hold God to hearing Him only through the specific words that have been written. His Spirit, like the wind, cannot be contained, and it's not up to us to try and do so. If we do, then our relationship will be very dry and dead-like. It will be a document, and not a life-giving, personal connection.
     I must admit that it can get sticky at times, whenever the enemy tries and mimicks God's voice, and he does this. We get off the path, thinking we are following God when we are not. But, what I am finding as I continue to walk with God is that, when I am being deceived, and I don't know it, God comes and brings me back to the light; Himself. Just like a little lost sheep, who doesn't even know he is lost, is brought back to the fold. Yes, we know His voice, but our hearing is not perfect, and we can be ignorantly deceived, and that is when we must trust our Good Shepherd's love and discernment to come and rescue us.