Hearing His Voice

Written By: Maddie Joy Fischer

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

Think of one of the closest people in your life. Maybe a parent, sibling, or friend. Odds are, you know the sound of their voice well enough that you could pick it out in a crowd. Why? Because you’ve heard it so much. You’ve spent enough time with them that it has become familiar.

This reality should be the same, and even more so, in our walk and relationship with Jesus. He should be our closest companion in this life. He is also our Shepherd, the One who carefully guides us. We are the sheep of His pasture. This is why it’s so important that we grow to both recognize His voice and follow the sound of it. While the sound of His voice may not be audible to you, He speaks today in many different and unique ways. He speaks through His Word. He speaks through His Spirit. He speaks through creation. He speaks through others. In my own life, I often describe the way He speaks as a whisper to my heart.

He says that His sheep know His voice. How do we grow to know His voice? By spending intentional time with Him. Don’t spend all of your time talking and asking, make sure to intentionally listen. Be willing to wait in His presence. Spend time in His Word. Beyond just reading, take note of His characteristics, instructions, and faithfulness through generations. Consider the things He confirms through repetition, remembering that His voice will always align with His Word. 

Spend time in a Godly community, surrounding yourself with others who know His voice, have walked with Him, and have witnessed His faithfulness. Seek wise counsel and encouragement, and open your life to accountability. Walk alongside others who will remind you what He says about you and continually point you in the direction of truth.

We aren’t just called to know His voice; we are instructed to follow Him wherever He leads. We can confidently follow Him, even into the unknown, because as the One who created us, He knows our needs, wants, dreams, and desires far better than we do. He leads each of us according to His perfect plan. 

The Shepherd is still speaking today. As His sheep, you will never be overlooked or abandoned. His voice is still the perfect guide, and it never fails those who follow the sound of it. Get to know His voice. Grow in your desire and ability to listen to what He is speaking. Live a life of faithfully following where He leads…

to an abundant and eternal life.

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:28