To know His voice

The watchman opens the gate for [the shepherd], and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice. -- John 10:3-5 NIV

Sometimes it’s easy to get confused with all the different “voices” calling our name in the busy fast lane of our lives. We are seeking the direction and “way” to go in our lives and there are many good choices we could make. The bad is not our enemy. We know not to choose the bad, for the most part. Even when we “fall” and choose the bad, we know it was a wrong choice after all is said and done. It is the maze of “good” choices where we so often get confused and miss His “best”. So where do we go to find the best? To what “voice” do we listen and obey?

My prayer, as of late, has been to get into a “listening” position. Spiritually, mentally, and physically we must get into a “listening” position. What does that mean? Well, I think that we have to learn to “Be still and know our God”. Our God went to the mountains many times to get away from the distractions in his life. (Maybe that’s why I like the mountains so much). This move of Jesus was a physical move away from the “crowds”, a move that helped him mentally refocus and bring him spiritually under the will of God. This allowed Him to accomplish the mission.

I am finding that it isn’t that God has stopped speaking to us. It is largely that we have become so distracted by the “other voices” that we no longer know HIS voice. We would do well to imitate Jesus in our relationship to the Father. Spiritually, mentally and physically we should assume the “listening” position until we become so close to the Father/Shepherd that we know His voice and we run away from all the “other voices” calling to us in the chaos.

To know His voice…..is to be HIS. May you be His today. Listen. He’s calling you by name. Do you hear Him? Do you know His voice?