Day 7) HOW TO BE CERTAIN YOU ARE HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD

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

Abraham heard God. Moses heard God. Elijah heard God. Paul heard God. Can you hear God?

God is a communicator. The fact He speaks is one of the first things we learn about Him from Scripture. The first chapter of the Bible details how He spoke the universe into existence (Genesis 1). His Son is revealed to us as “the Word” (John 1:1). The God whose self designation is “the Word” must take communication more seriously than we can imagine!

Can people hear God today? If so, how can we be sure we are not imagining it, or being conned by false prophets and fakes?

HIS PROMISE
Jesus promised His followers will hear His voice. He said “My sheep hear my voice….” Since He said some will hear, we can be sure of this: He is speaking!

HIS PEOPLE
Not everyone hears God. Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice….” If you are a Christian, you are a candidate for hearing the Lord speak to you!

HIS PROTECTION
I don’t want to be deceived by a counterfeit or a charming phony and neither do you. We must, however, assume the fakes are present and will attempt to deceive the people of God but we must not be led astray. Remember, Jesus said “A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (John 10:5)

HIS PURPOSE
Why does God speak to us? As our Shepherd He is leading us into the life He has planned for us. As a result, He is speaking to us so we know which direction to take in life’s journey. Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27) God speaks so we can follow Him as His disciples.

PRACTICAL GUIDELINES

1) Pay Attention
None of us can listen to too many things at once without getting confused. Have you ever been on the phone while someone in the same room you’re in is talking to you at the same time? It gets confusing doesn’t it?

When attempting to hear God, get quiet and block out competing voices. Prayerfully listen for the familiar voice of your Shepherd.

2) Don’t Be Gullible
Just because someone says they are speaking for God, you are not automatically obligated  to believe it. The Apostle John warned us. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)

3) Start with Scripture
We may question some voices but where the Bible speaks-God speaks. Paul said, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness….” (2 Timothy 3:16)
God may use a sermon, a Christian spouse, a close Christian friend’s counsel, a dream, an impression during prayer, or a life circumstance to speak to His people (I have heard from God in all of those ways) BUT, if anything you “hear” contradicts Scripture it is false. Reject it immediately.

We could say much more on this subject but today remember this – God is speaking. Are you listening?  

-JKB