Hearing God’s Voice
By Karen D’Amore
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
John 10: 27 (NIV)
By Karen D’Amore
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
John 10: 27 (NIV)
Two years ago, my
pastor taught on John 10 by sharing a personal experience he had had on a trip
to Israel. While he was visiting a famous biblical site, a group of shepherds
arrived with their flocks. Three different shepherds put all of their sheep in
one pen for the night. The next morning, one shepherd arrived at the pen and
began calling to his sheep. One by one, his sheep (and only his sheep) filed
out to follow him. The same thing happened when the other two shepherds began
calling their sheep. The sheep recognized only their shepherd’s
voice. Amazing!
I witnessed a similar phenomenon recently in my own yard. I have many kinds of wildlife living on my property and one day four mother raccoons, each with a litter of babies (21 raccoons total), were dining on my patio. From a treetop deeper in the woods, came the cry of a baby raccoon. Suddenly, one of the mothers darted from the group and ran to the crying baby. Calling back to her baby, the mother was able to coax her baby down out of the tree. It was incredible to observe how this mother raccoon recognized her baby’s cry for help and vice versa.
Whether it is a shepherd and his sheep, wildlife and their young, or a Christ follower and the Lord…the ability to recognize the appropriate voice is based on the relationship. The only way that a sheep can know the voice of a shepherd or a raccoon the voice of its mother is through the intimate bond they share. Similarly, the only way that we can recognize God’s voice is through a personal relationship with Him. To truly know God and to distinguish His voice from others, we must spend time in His Word, time in prayer and time sitting quietly at His feet.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Are you able to identify God’s voice? If not, what steps could you take to know Him in a more intimate way?
2. Is there someone in your life whom you could help mentor as he or she builds a closer relationship with the Lord?
FURTHER READING:
Psalm 46:10; Psalm 27:14; I Corinthians 2:9; Jeremiah 33:3; Colossians 3:15
I witnessed a similar phenomenon recently in my own yard. I have many kinds of wildlife living on my property and one day four mother raccoons, each with a litter of babies (21 raccoons total), were dining on my patio. From a treetop deeper in the woods, came the cry of a baby raccoon. Suddenly, one of the mothers darted from the group and ran to the crying baby. Calling back to her baby, the mother was able to coax her baby down out of the tree. It was incredible to observe how this mother raccoon recognized her baby’s cry for help and vice versa.
Whether it is a shepherd and his sheep, wildlife and their young, or a Christ follower and the Lord…the ability to recognize the appropriate voice is based on the relationship. The only way that a sheep can know the voice of a shepherd or a raccoon the voice of its mother is through the intimate bond they share. Similarly, the only way that we can recognize God’s voice is through a personal relationship with Him. To truly know God and to distinguish His voice from others, we must spend time in His Word, time in prayer and time sitting quietly at His feet.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Are you able to identify God’s voice? If not, what steps could you take to know Him in a more intimate way?
2. Is there someone in your life whom you could help mentor as he or she builds a closer relationship with the Lord?
FURTHER READING:
Psalm 46:10; Psalm 27:14; I Corinthians 2:9; Jeremiah 33:3; Colossians 3:15
Married
to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at
Craig Berns Salon and a Foot Care Specialist at Shorehaven Senior Facility. She also serves on the Oakwood Women’s
Ministry Special Events team.
