Learning to hear God’s voice

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

We’ve all had that moment when someone close to us—our wife, our dad, a best friend—calls.

“Hey, it’s me,” says the familiar voice on the other end of the line.

You don’t need more than that to know exactly who it is. You’ve spent years in  relationship with them, learning to recognize their voice.

As men, we have many voices competing for our attention: the voice of God, the voices of the world, and the voice in our own heads.

It takes time and discipline to distinguish the loving voice of the Spirit from the messages of the world around us.

In my own journey with God, I’ve slowly but surely learned to recognize the tone of God’s voice:

God’s voice is gentle; other voices are harsh.

God’s voice convicts; other voices condemn.

God’s voice brings comfort; other voices bring stress.

As you walk with God and mature in your faith, it becomes easier and easier to recognize His voice—just like a family member or friend whom you’ve spent years getting to know.

When was a time that God spoke clearly to you? How did you know it was Him?

How can you distinguish the voice of God from the other voices in your life?