Know God’s Voice

John 10:27-28

“Jesus said, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

Reflections

In the lives of men and women around the globe, the cares of the world are depleting energy, hope, and belonging. We unquestioningly trust our GPS to guide us to our next destination while we mindlessly miss landmarks that could return us home if our phones happened to die. We follow agendas created by human minds filled with endless and exhausting expectations.

Addictions of food, drink, drugs, lust, pleasure, gaming, work, people-pleasing, prestige, and passions fill our communities. We google the recipe, craft, or latest podcast. We seek AI to formulate our thoughts. We pay online distributors to deliver the latest and greatest to our door. But amid those distractions, has listening to the One who created us become a natural instinct, or is it so foreign that God Himself has become confusing to us?

Today’s passage says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them.” That word “know” refers to a deep, personal, intimate relationship. Jesus is saying that those who belong to Him hear His voice, and He knows them. Psalm 139 beautifully describes His knowing of us even before we were knit together in our mother’s womb. He knows our thoughts before we think them. He knows the hairs on our heads, even as they fall out and regrow daily. The problem isn’t Him knowing us.

The problem is that from our worldly standpoint, we often have been transient in our love for Him. We have been distracted by our busy society and expectations. Trust and knowing of our Shepherd has been depleted as we have wandered away. It is vital that we hear and know the voice of God, our Shepherd, intimately.

God’s voice, found in the pages of Scripture, is our security and protection. His words are living and active and can cut through the entanglements of this world (Heb. 4:12). Nothing is hidden from God. He is calling us to be honest with where we truly stand with Him today (Heb. 4:13). We need to humbly release control of our worldly cares (James 4:10) and be holy, set apart, and consecrated to Him (1 Pet. 1:16).

Are you willing to take those steps and build that knowing relationship with Him?

Prayer

Lord, I want to know Your voice. Please draw me into the knowing of you that I quickly recognize any imposter. Align my will and resolution in hard circumstances with Your Spirit and protect me from meditating on things that are not from You.