My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27
Laughter filled the rooms as I sat and listened. It was heartwarming, safe, genuine, and familiar gaiety among longtime friends. I would have recognized the voices and laughter even in a strange place with my eyes closed because of their familiarity. One of the many blessings of long-standing relationships is the closeness that naturally develops to the point of instantaneous voice recognition. I am old enough to remember the days before caller ID when the telephone was attached to a cord with a rotary dial. Call screening didn’t exist because you didn’t know who was on the other end until you picked up the receiver. Only the strangers calling would need to identify themselves. Even without a caller ID, you knew who it was on the other end because you recognized the voice.
Numerous books, sermons, and Bible studies have been written on the subject of recognizing God’s voice. Most of those references conclude that there is no cookie-cutter template or black-and-white rules for knowing God’s voice. The one overriding takeaway of learning God’s voice is that you will not recognize it unless the voice is familiar. It is a lifelong journey of seeking Him, yearning for His voice to speak into our lives, and taking steps forward, only to fall backward and get back up again. When I read stories of God speaking directly and audibly to His people in the Old Testament, I want that same experience and would welcome it daily. But today, God speaks through other believers, His creation, and His Word. His deepest desire is that we recognize His Spirit’s voice as our faith grows.
Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd. The people of Israel were well acquainted with the work of a shepherd. Sadly, most people today cannot relate to this reference because they do not understand the nature of sheep and consequently can miss the importance of recognizing the voice of the Shepherd. In John 10:3-5, Jesus says, “The sheep hear his voice, and 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.” Shepherds lead their sheep with only their voices; no fancy gimmicks or equipment is needed. The familiar, recognizable voice of the shepherd is the only beckoning call a sheep will respond to, to call it home when it has gone astray, keep it within the fold, and comfort it in times of confusion along unprecedented paths. Let us endeavor to be more like sheep, spending time with the Shepherd in prayer and studying His Word until His voice becomes as familiar as the voices of our dearest friends and family. And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.
The picture is of our recent gathering of longtime friends from Virginia and Florida, reuniting with all of us living in North Carolina.