Morning Devotionals
by Don Emmitte
 
April 20th, 2008

 

"The Sound of God's Voice (Part 2)"
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Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. 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." (John 10:1-5 NIV).

 

Today I want to begin to look at some guiding principles to recognize God's voice. However God speaks to our souls, in our quiet times of reading and prayer, or in the hum of a scheduled day, keep in mind that we can't fit God into a formula and always predict how He will communicate with us. Consequently, these guidelines are not etched-in-stone rules.

 

First, God always speaks with clarity. Jesus declares this truth in our reading today. Over time we learn to recognize the quality of God's voice and how He sounds to us. We can be assured, though, that He doesn't speak in fuzzy generalities. If the message is muddled, we probably need to wait until the communication clarifies. God's voice and messages are clear. Though we may need to wait for the Lord's confirmation, often when He speaks, we know He has spoken to us.

 

For example, one of my clients had been seeking God about a direction for her life. Several months ago while driving to the airport; her car was hit from behind by another vehicle. As she and her friend spun out of control, they yelled, "Jesus! Jesus, help us!" Astonishingly, the two women weren't hurt. When she stepped out of the car, she said, "I'm supposed to be in ministry." Though human error caused the accident, God used the circumstances to speak to her, and without question, she knew it. The risk of losing her life made His voice very clear.

 

Don't misunderstand me to say that this is the way God always speaks. However, it can be. Sometimes, God may stir our hearts with a general sense that "something's up" and a change of direction is forthcoming. This holy restlessness causes us to seek God's will and prepares our hearts for His message. When He finally speaks, it's with clarity. We transition from, "I think God might be speaking to me" to, "I know that He spoke to me." When you are trying to determine if it is God's voice speaking to you, remember it will be clear! If it is not clear, wait a while longer before making a decision about that issue.