Devotional – Knowing God’s Voice

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me

John 10:27

Recently I was watching the Sports news on television. When a particular item of news came on, the video of the event came up on the screen, but the reporter’s face was not shown. Even though I did not see a face, I instantly recognized the voice of the reporter. It was easy for me. I did not have to struggle because I watch the news on a regular basis and as such, I have become accustomed to not just the faces, but also the voices of various reporters. Distinguishing one from the others was therefore not an issue for me.

This to me was simple, yet profound. We often struggle to hear the voice of God. God is always speaking but we do not always hear because of the clamor around us. In addition, we sometimes do not hear because we are not sure how to distinguish the voice of God from all the other voices we hear.  There are many other contending voices that can cause a sense of confusion and doubt, hence we remain unsure and uncertain.

So how can we clearly hear and know God’s voice? The key is to spend time with Him. He is the Word. Spend time reading and meditating on the Word and communicating with Him through prayer. Only then can we know Him and develop a close relationship with Him. Just as we need to spend time and effort in developing a relationship with friends and family members, so we need to spend time with God. Just as we can distinguish the voices of various persons without actually having to see a face, so we should eventually be able to discern God’s voice from that of the enemy or our own emotions.

A right relationship with God allows us to hear and know His voice. John 10: 27 states clearly,’ my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me’. When we know the voice of our Shepherd, we will not follow another. When we come to a place of rest in Him and understand how he communicates with us, we will discern His voice even in the midst of noise, chaos, and confusion.

Reflection

What are the distractions that prevent us from clearly hearing God’s voice? How can we be in a better place to hear God’s voice?

Prayer

Father help us to develop a right relationship with you and come to a place of rest in you so that we can know and hear and know your voice. In Jesus’ name, Amen.