“WEDNESDAY IN THE WORD”

September 4, 2024

“HOW TO HEAR AND RECOGNIZE GOD’S VOICE”

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

JOHN 10:27 NIV

We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature, trees, and grass grows in silence. The stars, moon and sun move in silence. We need silence to be able to touch souls, as Mother Teresa often said.

In the midst of our busy lives, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the noise of the world. We are constantly bombarded with voices vying for our attention. Yet, in all of this noise, there is one voice that matters above all others – the voice of GOD. In John 10:27, Jesus tells us that His sheep hear His voice, and He knows them, and they follow Him. The verse is a profound reminder of the intimate relationship we are invited to have with our Shepherd. As his sheep, we are not only capable of hearing his voice, but we are also known by him, and our response to his voice is to follow him.

Hearing God’s voice is not about having a special skill or being a spiritual elite. It is about being in relationship with Jesus, our Shepherd. In doing so, we learn to recognize his voice through time spent in his presence. This means being intentional about the relationship we have with him.

Through prayer, reading the Word and quieting our hearts before him. You see sometimes his voice comes in a gentle whisper, as it did with Elijah (1 King 19:12). Other times it may come through scripture, a sermon, a song or even through the counsel of a trusted friend. However it comes, God’s voice always leads to Truth, Peace, and a deepened relationship with him.

To hear God’s voice we must be willing to listen. This means setting aside time in our day to be still before him, to seek his guidance, and to wait on him. Tuning out distractions and to quiet our own thoughts in order to hear what he is saying to us. Once we hear his voice, the next step is to follow. True hearing involves obedience. When God speaks, he calls us to action, whether it’s to step out in faith, to change a habit, to offer foregiveness, or to simply rest in his love.When we know that this is his voice, we will move firward wuthout any reservations or hesitations. Why? It’s because we know that he only wants the very best for us as we obey him.

So, how will we recognize God’s voice? As we spend time in prayer, read and meditate on scripture, seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, practice stillness and silence, obey what we already know, be patient and persistent, seek confirmation and be open to different ways God speaks, while cultivating a humble and receptive heart. If we incorporate all of these practices into our spiritual life, we’ll be able to see him more clearly, love him more dearly and follow him more nearly— day by day. Amen

Pastor Andrea ( Rev. Andie)