HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD

I had already done a Spiritual Sundays post on my other blog but when I received an email from James Robison this morning I knew I had to share it. I think it is so good.

- Charlotte

Can We Really Know The Voice Of God?
by James Robison

"And so, my children, listen to me, for all my ways are joyful."
(Proverbs 8:32)

Anyone who owns a dog knows that they can often run. Some bolt any
time the door opens, some stray too far when on a walk, and some get
distracted by natural distractions, like other dogs or potential prey,
and end up lost.

Princess, our dachshund, loves her Mimi and Papaw, but her natural
instincts drive her to run at times. If I open the front door and she
smells a squirrel, she's off. Her intense focus to fulfill her desires
can get her in serious trouble. She could run into traffic and get
sideswiped by an unseen car. She could catch her prey and find that
it's not a squirrel, but something more vicious and powerful. Or she
could simply pursue her quarry to the point where she no longer knows
where her home is. Oftentimes, it is only my voice that keeps her from
getting into trouble. If she listens and obeys, she will come back to
the safety and provision of her home. If not, all manner of trouble
awaits.

The prophet Isaiah pointed out, "All of us, like sheep, have strayed
away. We have left God's paths to follow our own." (Isaiah 53:6)
In his time, the people understood the analogy of a sheep. That is why
shepherds were so important. Not only did they fend off predators, but
they led the sheep to green pastures for food and clean water to
drink. Smart sheep (relatively speaking) learned to listen to their
shepherd for their own good. Even so, sheep had a tendency to wander.
The same is true with people. Really, the question is not whether or
not we will stray; we will, because it is in our very nature to do so.
But what will we do when God calls us back into his care? Or even more
importantly, will we know God's voice when He does call?

I can promise you that if Princess took off to pursue something that
she should not be pursuing and you called her, she would not respond
to your call. She does not know you and does not recognize your voice.
I suppose there is a small chance that she might pause, look in your
direction and wonder, "Who is that?" But then she would turn and continue down her own path.

You might think that if your voice is similar to mine deep and
booming then you might be able to get her attention and convince her
to follow your instructions. Not so. Princess knows my voice. She does
not know yours.

Jesus, in identifying himself as one with God, also related to the
shepherds of His time. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know
them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will
never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has
given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." (John 10:27-30)

Our pets, like a shepherd's sheep, learn our voices. We, too,
can learn to hear the voice of God. The first step is to enter His
fold. This is salvation. We become new creations and, in the process,
get "new ears." Our spiritual rebirth enables us to hear
things we did not hear before. Like a baby born into the world, new
sounds reach our ears. But like a newborn, we cannot always discern
the noises. We must mature, learn and develop a keen sense of hearing.

Jesus laid down this principle when he defended His use of parables
and quoted the prophet Isaiah:

To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given,
and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are
not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken
away from them. That is why I use these parables, for they look, but
they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, 'When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see
what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are
hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their
eyes--so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and
their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me
heal them.' But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and
your ears, because they hear." (Matthew 13:12-16)

So we learn to hear His voice by hearing his teachings, found in
scripture, and understanding them. Just like Princess'
familiarity allows her to discern my voice, familiarity with our
spiritual shepherd allows us to discern His voice. If we choose to
ignore His voice, we become dull of hearing. When we choose to listen
and act on His words, we are blessed, because we hear.

So clearly it is possible to discern the voice of God in our lives. If
an animal can hear the voice of its caretaker, people can hear the
voice of our heavenly caretaker! When we know and respond to His
voice, He promises to lead us down the path of life. When we stray, He
calls us back and we return to his security and care. Nobody can take
us away from His protection and presence, if we will only learn to
hear and heed His voice.

This Week
Learn to hear God's voice by becoming more familiar with His
Word. Ask Him to supernaturally open your ears so that you can better
follow Him.

Prayer
"Father, thank you for speaking to me. Help me learn Your voice
above all others. Give me the gift of wisdom and understanding as I
seek to follow Your ways."