Have you ever answered the telephone and failed to recognize the voice of someone you know fairly well?
There are a few standard approaches to this dilemma:
• Greet the person enthusiastically and exchange some stock pleasantries.
• Keep talking and play for time while hoping to catch the caller’s identity.
• Sheepishly admit, “Your voice sounds familiar, but I am not so sure that I recognize the voice.”
This could be a precarious situation for a friendship. We hope that the person on the other end of the line will not be offended, but the possibility exists that feelings of being slighted could seriously threaten the relationship.
When the tables are turned, my reaction is very simple. I take the “out of sight, out of mind” or “I caught you by surprise, didn’t I?” approach.
The truth is that we hardly have difficulty recognizing the voices of those who are close to us. The frequency of the encounters facilitates quick and easy recognition. When my family calls, I can plunge right into a conversation—no stalling then, because I know their voices very well.
THE SHEPHERD’S VOICE
Jesus told a parable about voice recognition in John 10:3–5: “. . . and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. . . . and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger . . . because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
What a revelation here! It’s all about a close relationship with the shepherd. This is the only way the sheep could hear and know the Shepherd’s voice. When God calls us, do we hear and recognize His voice?
Here are some of the excuses we make for not recognizing God’s voice:
Oh, there is so much noise around here. I can’t hear You too well.
There is such an invasion of sounds in our lives—sounds of discontent, deadlines, competitiveness, trendy fashions, and envy. Sounds, sounds. Noise, noise. The “music” is loud, overpowering, and blaring, thus blocking out the voice of our lovely Savior. We need to turn the noise down. Turn it off, if necessary, so that we can enjoy the beautiful voice of Jesus.
Seems like we do not have a clear signal today, Lord. You’re breaking up.
Why can’t God get through to us? Perhaps the hills or mountains of responsibility and professional demands are forming a barrier. Even keeping up with our church activities can “break up” the connection with Jesus.
I haven’t heard You for some time, Lord. I think I have forgotten your voice.
Forgetting God’s voice is a dangerous indicator of a weak connection with Him and potential separation from our Father. This means that we miss out on numerous blessings. The psalmist David revels in his experiences of communing with God. A solid relationship does not happen by chance. It must be built by continuous hard work.
Oh, how wonderful it is to be so close to Him that we hear and recognize that voice! Sometimes when we realize that we have not been spending time with our friend Jesus, we make a frantic decision to reconnect with Him. However, in our prayer sessions, we talk incessantly, bombarding Him with our multiple wish lists. We talk so much that we cannot hear Him—because we are not listening. Is it any wonder that we are unable to recognize His voice?
HOW TO HEAR AND RECOGNIZE HIS VOICE
• Yearn to hear His voice, then admit to God that there is a void within us. He will fill it. David articulated his insatiable “thirst” for God in Psalm 42:1: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.”
• Find a place that is conducive to our hearing His voice—“holy ground.” We are not thinking of a magnificent temple or impressively manicured lawns, just a quiet spot and a clean, willing heart—a heart receptive to that divine encounter. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). In this place we will hear God’s still, small voice by reading His Word and reflecting on the
scriptures we have studied.
• Take time to listen. This is an exercise that will require much thought, determination, and practice. Claim God’s promise for wisdom and perception, and in the quietness of our souls we will hear our Savior’s voice.
• Keep up the listening habit. This will cement the memory of His precious voice so that when God speaks to us, we will promptly respond.
Of course, Jesus is waiting for us to share our feelings of joy and pain with Him. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord . . .” (Isaiah 1:18, KJV). Profuse praise and copious expressions of gratitude and adoration should characterize our conversation. Add to these our confessions and requests and bask in the precious gift of His wonderful grace. What a wonderful Savior!
“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Oh, what peace and eloquence we enjoy when we are silent in the divine presence! Let us resolve to listen for God’s voice so that we can savor that enriched encounter and relationship. Then in our rapture we will exclaim, “It was so good hearing You, Lord. We must do this more often. I love You.”
