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

There are many voices in our world today calling for our attention.  There is the voice of the thief, the voice of the wolf, the voice of worldly philosophers, the voice of politicians, the voice of peers, the voice of new-age techniques, and the voice of God as well.  There are voices telling us the problems as well as the solutions.  There are many voices clamoring for our attention and calling us to follow and none of them are without significance.  But the voice of the Sacred Scriptures is the voice of Christ (John 1:1).  That voice spoke in the beginning, spoke right through history, through prophecy and still continues to speak even in heaven.  The voice of Christ still speaks today offering salvation, security and eternal life to all who have ears to hear.

It is the voice that will never die. It is the voice that cannot be shut out by men.  It is the voice that cannot be drowned or smothered. It is the final voice that matters.  And that voice is calling.  The voice of Christ is calling us to admit the problem of sin that we all have.  It is the voice calling men to repent of sin, to trust and rest in Him.  But as we look around, we find that it is not easy for men to discern His Voice from the many others.  Here lies the core of the problem.  How do we know His voice.

Think of the moment when the telephone rings and you pick up the receiver.  As soon as you hear the voice on the other end, you say “hello mom” or “hello dad” or “hello so & so” even before the person on the other end can identify themselves.  How is this possible?  How did we know the voice on the other end?  Simple, we have known the person very closely and for a long time and quite intimately perhaps, so much so, that recognizing their voice came naturally.  This intimate acquaintance required years spent in their presence, so one could recognize their voice at any time even though separated by distance. Similarly, in this world with its minefield of voices, the Lord says; “And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”  (John 10:4-5).

It is the diligent Christian that daily seeks the face of the Lord, and daily feeds upon the written Word that gets accustomed to His voice.  The daily study of his Word tunes the human mind to His thoughts and ways and we come to know how He thinks and what He desires, making it easy to discern His voice among the many others.  What a safe haven of refuge and relief to know His familiar voice guiding us safely through the din and clamor of these present perilous times.

Application: Dearly beloved, decide this day to make a study of the sacred scriptures your daily portion of food to be partaken off.  Many prefer the short-cut of hearing the Lord’s voice verbally like a hot-line, not realizing that they can be led astray easily unless they have studied His mind closely through His written word, for He will never speak contrary to His Word.  Be like the wise man of Mt. 7:24-25 who hears the Word of God and obeys it. Jesus said; he it was who built his house upon firm rock that could withstand the storms.  Feed therefore upon His Word and make it your home, obeying its injunctions from the heart.