Hearing His Voice

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27)

Of all the things that remove fog from your life and bring clarity about the will of God, hearing needs to be at the top of the list. It is the first and most essential element of faith, and everything else follows. Without hearing, there is no receiving. Without receiving, there is no believing. Without believing, there is no speaking. Without speaking, there is no acting.

The entire chain of faith begins and ends with whether you have actually heard from God. Jesus said it with complete confidence: “My sheep hear my voice.” He did not say might hear or be able to hear under the right conditions, but rather He said hear. It is a present-tense settled fact. If you are His, you can hear Him. That capacity is not reserved for preachers and prophets. It is not activated only in moments of crisis. It is the ongoing reality of a life connected to the Shepherd. He speaks. His sheep hear. That is the relationship.

Hearing clears the fog.  When you are operating without a clear word from God, doubt has room to move in. I can point to a specific moment in my life, praying to God on the floor under a dining room table, asking Him about my ministry, which was going to require a major step of faith. When the word finally came to me, and I heard His voice, the question stopped being "God, what do you want me to do?" The question became a statement: "Okay, I know what you want. Now I have to walk it out." Knowing what God wants, even when what He wants is hard, is far better than the restlessness of not knowing.

There is a peace that comes with being on the same wavelength as God. It is not the peace of having everything figured out or every obstacle removed, but the peace of knowing where you stand with Him and knowing His will clearly enough that your next steps, however challenging, are not shrouded in doubt. That peace comes through hearing. It does not come through analyzing the situation or taking a vote among your closest friends.

Practical Application

Carve out time today with no agenda other than listening. Open your Bible and read slowly, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the Word. Then sit quietly and give God room to confirm, clarify, or direct.

John 10:14; John 10:3