God Speaking

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.”

(John 10: 27)

Just recently I needed to have my hearing aids checked. I must admit they are a wonderful invention for old people like me who are hard of hearing, but they also need to be adjusted as hearing begins to worsen. To have them checked is quite a procedure, as one must sit in a soundproof room while listening to beeps and push buttons when you hear the beep, then to listen carefully to a voice and repeat the last word spoken.  When I was listening to the report on my hearing, the word clarity was repeated at nauseum. It was not important that I heard the voice, but did I hear it clearly enough to know what was said.  

Listening to God is one of the most important ways we can follow him and stay on that path of truth. When Moses was instructing the children of Israel, he emphasized how important it was to do just that 

“And that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him.” (Deuteronomy 30: 20) 

The other important message about listening is in Jesus’ words, where he says his sheep know his voice. In this world there are many voices trying to claim our attention. The world shouts at us, we know it is tempting to listen to such things as “all you need to be happy is to be rich or beautiful”, “you don’t have to care about who you stand on to get that job”, “a few lies will get you where you want to be”, “you should always look after yourself first”. Listening to these voices will drag you away form that still voice of the Father, who sometimes whispers. 

When Elijah needed to know God was still with him, he didn’t hear a voice thundering out of the sky, but a whisper 

“And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19: 12)

When my hearing was being tested, I had to sit in a soundproof room, so I only heard one voice and when Jesus wanted to hear the Father he went away from the crowds and chose a quiet place to pray. This is a wonderful example for us to follow if we want to hear clearly the Lord’s voice. Many of us lead very busy lives, but if we look carefully at what we make time for, how do we take time for listening to that Heavenly Voice.  Most of my family plan their days around what they must do work wise, picking up children and etcetera, and a beep on their cell phone reminds them. 

Setting aside a quiet time especially in the morning before the busy day begins is a wonderful way to start, knowing the Holy Spirit will guide us on the right path he has chosen for us if we listen carefully, so his voice is clear.