Welcome back to the third installment of our series on recognizing God’s leading and His voice.
A lot of people are looking for guidance and good direction… who better to ask than someone who truly knows everything?
God has perfect knowledge and can see the end from the beginning… but we often have trouble hearing or recognizing his voice from the multitude of messages we receive every minute.
Some have argued that if God is so perfect, why can’t he make it so everyone hears him all the time?
Well, that’s a fair question. Would it surprise you to learn that the instructions for hearing Gods voice have been in the scripture all this time?
In the previous two parts of this series, we laid the crucial foundation of grace in the new covenant through Jesus Christ; if you haven’t yet seen those two segments, please watch those before watching this part, as we will be building onto what we learned previously, as we explore the application of hearing God’s voice.
Let’s get started!
Is It Me or God?
We began this series by establishing the solid foundation of Grace in Christ and the New Covenant which He has given to us. This foundation is absolutely vital to approaching God properly, and also hearing from Him properly.
The confusion starts to come in however because even if we know all of this information, we still tend to think of communication with God as a mystical thing, as if it has a magical quality to it. We often hear Christian buzzwords, like “inward promptings,” “urgings,” or say things like “I felt led to do this.”
These feelings are very subjective, and oftentimes is more reflective of our thoughts, feelings, and personal decisions, rather than the voice and leading of God. How do we know whether something comes from us or God? Even if we know that communication with God is possible and that He wants to tell us things, how do we recognize His voice versus the many distractions? Jesus answers this crucial question in John 10:1-9:
“ 1Truly, truly, I say to you, he that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3To him the porter opens; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.
4And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6This parable spoke Jesus to them: but they understood not what things they were which he spoke to them.
7Then said Jesus to them again, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
Jesus, The Open Door
In these verses, Jesus is painting a picture to help us understand true leading from His voice via the Holy Spirit, and others who try to sneak in via other ways. Let’s examine Jesus’ words here.
Starting at verse 1 we see that anyone (or any voice) that does not come through the door of the sheepfold, but comes in through some other way, that person or that voice is a thief and a robber; in other words a false leading or a false voice.
In verses 2-5, it is made absolutely clear that he which does enter through the door, that is the true Shepherd, and the real voice of God. And the porter (the Holy Spirit) will open to him, and the sheep (believers) will hear his voice and be led by the genuine Shepherd.
This is what we want, and so in order to distinguish between the true and false voice, we must now answer the question of “what is the door of the sheep?”
Jesus answers this question for us in verse 7, Jesus says truly, truly –
a double-affirmation – I am the door of the sheep.
He repeats this again in verse 9, obviously, Jesus wants us to know this.
From Foundation to Function
we know from John 1:1, John 6:63 and many other places in scripture that Jesus is the Word, and so when Jesus says that He is the door here in verse 7 and confirms it in verse 9, His point becomes clear as we put these pieces of information together.
The voice that comes to us through Jesus (the door), His Truth, and founded on His finished work opened by the porter (the Holy Spirit) is the true voice.
And any voice which does not come in through Jesus Christ, isn’t founded on His finished work, does not rest on His truth, and not empowered by the Holy Spirit, is a false voice.
The Holy Spirit has a critical role in this whole system as a pointer to and reminder of Jesus. The job description of the Holy Spirit is to remind us of all the things which Jesus has said (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit never exalts himself, but helps us to understand and remember the words and the truth of Jesus.
So here’s how this can be applied in daily life: You pray, which is nothing mystical or magical, you are simply talking with your Father God, you talk to Him, bring Him your concerns, knowing that He loves and cares for you.
And meditate on Jesus Christ; remember that He is the reason why you can have unfettered access to God, recall the promises you have in Christ, and as you do, listen.
He Leads You Into Peace
Now at this point you might ask what to listen for… and the most accurate answer I can give you is, whatever is the peace of God.
Sometimes He will remind you of a scripture, sometimes He will remind you of a characteristic of Himself, sometimes He will give you specific instructions based on a scripture, or even a worship song— God is not a machine or robot that we can perfectly predict, but one thing is certain:
He will always lead you towards His peace. One of the most famous Psalms is Psalm 23, where verse 2 says that the LORD makes you lie down in green pastures (a picture of rest) and He leads you besides the still waters (a picture of peace).
Isaiah 55:11-12 says that the word which proceeds from God’s mouth will accomplish what He pleases, and then He continues by saying that You will go out with joy and be led forth with peace.
Stay rooted in Jesus Christ, remain grounded in His love, and the peace of God will guide yo.
Be blessed.