Is it the voice of God, or is it just me? Sondra shares guardrails to help you recognize the voice and wisdom of God in a noisy world.
Have you ever heard God speak — out loud? Me, neither. It would be amazing if I didn’t expire from shock on the spot!
When I think of God’s voice, I picture Moses and the burning bush or God blessing Jesus as He rises from His baptism in the Jordan River. In both of these stories, God speaks audibly and His voice cannot be mistaken. These are also significant moments within God’s story of redeeming the world.
So, what does it mean to hear God’s voice today? Does God speak to me? I’m not Moses, or Mary, or Jesus, why should God speak to me?
Yet God does speak to each of us. Sometimes He speaks audibly, but that is not the only way we can hear His Voice. We can learn to recognize His voice with confidence. But first, it helps to know a bit about sheep.
“…The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”
We Are His Sheep
Sheep? Yes, sheep! For three reasons:
– We’re like sheep (see Psalms 79, 95, 100, 119; Isaiah 53)
– The Lord is our Shepherd (see Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34; John 10)
– Sheep recognize their Shepherd’s voice and won’t follow another (see John 10)
It’s no secret that sheep are among the most helpless, hapless creatures in all of God’s creation. They are flighty and easily scattered. They’re prone to wander, requiring diligent guidance. And then, when lost, search and rescue. They refuse to rest unless satisfied. If food isn’t readily available, they’ll run themselves ragged searching for it. Sheep have no natural defenses, making them easy prey.
Make no mistake: sheep, without a shepherd, are doomed.
We might consider them dimwitted — but not so fast, my friend. One little-known fact ensures survival: social and emotional cognition. A sheep’s relatively dull brain is perfectly wired to recognize faces and voices, even absent, over time. Surely, this was God’s design for the triumph of the species.
Scriptures paint a beautiful picture of shepherd and sheep — leading, following, calling, and listening. Day in and out, the shepherd’s gentle voice accompanies them. They are soothed and encouraged as he talks, sings, or plays his flute.
He leads them to lush grazing; they eat their fill. He leads them to calm pools; they drink without fear. Then he leads them to shade, a reprieve from the midday heat. They lay down to rest; satisfied.
A good shepherd is diligent in caring for his flock. When one goes astray, he searches and rescues with his long staff. He applies oil to ward off insects and disease. When predators threaten, he defends with his sling or rod. He’ll protect them to his death.
At night, he leads them to safety in a sheepfold. Lacking a gate, he lies across the opening, his body the door. Multiple flocks may mingle therein until morning. Then he calls out his flock with a familiar phrase or tune. And so, another day begins in a life of simple rhythms, whereby sheep are saved from certain destruction.
Listening to God's Voice in His Word
As idyllic as sheep-life sounds under the shepherd’s care, human “sheep” don’t have it so easy. Every day brings new challenges, if not full-blown crises, in the mad scramble of life. All of our sheep qualities tend to conspire against following close.
And even then, how can we recognize His voice amid the clamor and confusion?
Here’s a clue: It sounds like the Word of God and Wisdom. Exactly like that. Because Jesus is the Word, in the flesh. And He is the personal Wisdom of God. They are the same thing, logos.
I’m awestruck by the thought. Jesus, the Word, and Wisdom, in perfect union with the triune God before creation. How marvelous (see Job 28; Proverbs 8; John 1; John 10)!
But God, in His great mercy, sent the Great Shepherd on a rescue mission (Hebrews 13:20).
As Tim Keller says, “Jesus came and lived the life we couldn’t live to die the death we should have died.” Yes, and amen.
Jesus' Words Are Redemptive
God is immutable; He never changes. To understand what God is like, we look to Jesus, God in the flesh. Jesus doesn’t shame or accuse. He redeems us; He redeems everything. He delivers us into His marvelous light of freedom.
I want to hear whatever He has to say! How about you?
Following closely, we hear the voice of our Shepherd speak eternal Truth. This is who He is; He can do no less. He calls us by name into a restored relationship with Him. He calls us closer and deeper.
He calls you:
– Beloved (Jeremiah 31:3)
– Chosen (1 Peter 2:9-10)
– Redeemed (Romans 3:24)
– Forgiven and free (Colossians 1:13-14)
– Fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14)
– Equipped for our calling (Hebrews 13:20-21)
– His workmanship (Genesis 1:26-31)
– His child and heir (Galatians 4:6-7)
– His delight (Zephaniah 3:17)
Bible, Prayer, and Fellowship
We can hear God as we read the Bible, on the wing of prayer, and in the recesses of our souls.
We can hear the voice of God when we:
– Make time in the Word a priority (Psalm 119)
– Meditate and pray (Psalm 1; Romans 12:12)
– Maintain fellowship with believers (Hebrews 10:25; 1 Timothy 4:13)
Sheep without a shepherd are doomed to destruction. Our Shepherd gave His life to rescue us, so we would not suffer eternal damnation. He is the Door and the only Way through (John 14:6).
The sheep know the Shepherd’s voice. It never contradicts God’s Word. We learn to recognize it only in proximity. Let’s follow close while the dust from his sandals yet lingers on the breeze.
Sondra Smith is a Revelation Wellness Instructor (Platoon 26) traveling the U.S. by RV with the SOWER Ministry. Read more of her work on her website, Sincerely Sondra.
Journaling the Word
This free printable download walks you through 21 statements about your true identity in Christ, providing space for you to journal as you look up corresponding Scriptures.
Be sure to listen to our corresponding Revelation Wellness Podcast episode: #264: Fruitful Declarations
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Thank you.