John 10:27; “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” There are some today who have said that “hearing” God ‘speak’ in the study of the Bible, in quiet contemplation of his Word, and in our spirit” means we’re heading toward becoming New Age, or perhaps some other belief. Well, if you ever encounter anything similar, I suggest you read the Word of God, find out what it says, and pray. What is this verse saying to you? From my perspective, to ‘hear’ God’s voice we must ‘belong’ to God. It is clear in this verse that those who have been saved by his grace through faith in Jesus, are the ‘sheep’ who hear and recognize his voice. Why? Because they know him as their Shepherd. The more time we spend intimately with God and his Word, the easier it is to recognize his voice and his leading in our lives. There is a great illustration used of the fact that, employees at a bank are trained to recognise counterfeits by studying ‘genuine’ money so closely that it is easy to spot a fake. We should be so familiar with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit that, when someone speaks error to us, it is clear that it is not of God. While God could speak audibly to people today, he speaks primarily through his written Word. Sometimes God’s leading can come through the Holy Spirit, through our consciences, through circumstances, and through other people. By comparing what we hear to the truth of Scripture, we can learn to recognise God’s voice. We need to remember that God’s voice rarely sounds like a voice outside of ourselves, or a booming voice from heaven. You will recall Jesus saying that the river of living water springs from our innermost being (John 7:38). What does that mean? The presence is an internal flow of thoughts and ideas; he is constantly speaking to us. Here’s the key though, we just have to recognise which voice is his. “My sheep listen to ‘my’ voice”. As a suggestion, do not listen to any thoughts (either your own or those around you) that might try to convince you that you don’t ‘hear’ God. The redeemed spirit is qualified to process the things of God’s Spirit, but a mental process is not. Trust the Spirit inside you, and, when you think that its God’s voice, it probably is. My prayer is that you will believe the truth of God’s promise of his Spirit flowing within you, and pray for God’s Spirit to help you recognise which internal voice is his, and that your response would be to follow it faithfully. “Whoever speaks must speak Gods words” (1 Peter 4:11). Ultimately it is your choice what you believe, but I would trust that you would ask for the gift of discernment in everything you hear, read, or watch, and allow the Word of God to speak deep in the core of your being and lead, guide, shape, grow, and mature you spiritually. Listen to this song which speaks right into our context today. https://youtube/watch?v=dOb6ub-NLWA
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 04:05:23 +0000
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