Devotional - Knowing God's Voice

 


My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me

John 10:27


Recently I was watching the Sports news on television. When a particular item of news came on, the video of the event came up on the screen, but the reporter's face was not shown. Even though I did not see a face, I instantly recognized the voice of the reporter. It was easy for me. I did not have to struggle because I watch the news on a regular basis and as such, I have become accustomed to not just the faces, but also the voices of various reporters. Distinguishing one from the others was therefore not an issue for me.

This to me was simple, yet profound. We often struggle to hear the voice of God. God is always speaking but we do not always hear because of the clamor around us. In addition, we sometimes do not hear because we are not sure how to distinguish the voice of God from all the other voices we hear.  There are many other contending voices that can cause a sense of confusion and doubt, hence we remain unsure and uncertain.

So how can we clearly hear and know God's voice? The key is to spend time with Him. He is the Word. Spend time reading and meditating on the Word and communicating with Him through prayer. Only then can we know Him and develop a close relationship with Him. Just as we need to spend time and effort in developing a relationship with friends and family members, so we need to spend time with God. Just as we can distinguish the voices of various persons without actually having to see a face, so we should eventually be able to discern God's voice from that of the enemy or our own emotions.

A right relationship with God allows us to hear and know His voice. John 10: 27 states clearly,' my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me'. When we know the voice of our Shepherd, we will not follow another. When we come to a place of rest in Him and understand how he communicates with us, we will discern His voice even in the midst of noise, chaos, and confusion.


Reflection

What are the distractions that prevent us from clearly hearing God's voice? How can we be in a better place to hear God's voice?


Prayer

Father help us to develop a right relationship with you and come to a place of rest in you so that we can know and hear and know your voice. In Jesus' name, Amen.


Comments

  1. Sybil Brown-KerrJanuary 7, 2023 at 9:37 AM

    Well said Lona, I have been blessed by today's devotional. Continue to do what God has called you to do. Blessings.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lona D. IsaacsJanuary 7, 2023 at 9:47 AM

    Thank you Sister Sybil. I am thrilled that you were blessed. It is an honour to serve the Body of Christ in this way. Blessings to you and your family.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JansloJanuary 7, 2023 at 2:10 PM

    Practical insight, Lona, with embedded truth. Thank you for sharing your nuggets. Shalom!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lona D. IsaacsJanuary 7, 2023 at 5:58 PM

    You're most welcome. Happy that this devotional has impacted you. Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 7, 2023 at 5:58 PM

    👍👍

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lona D. IsaacsJanuary 7, 2023 at 6:11 PM

    Bless you!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lona D. IsaacsJanuary 7, 2023 at 6:12 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. MackeyJanuary 11, 2023 at 7:18 PM

    Very profound word sis.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lona D. IsaacsJanuary 12, 2023 at 2:10 AM

    Bless you my brother.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

POEM - Mama Was A Wise One

  Mama Was a Wise One   Mama was a wise one, she had a way with words, Mama was a wise one, mek mi tell yuh weh she used to seh!   Scornful dawg nyam dutty puddn, chicken merry, hawk deh near And when you ears too hard, she seh who cyaa hear will feel   Mama was a wise one, she taught us how to save She seh one one cocoa full basket, good advice she always gave   Mama was a wise one, leading us along the right path She taught us how to be patient, to meekly wait and murmur not   Mama was a wise one, she taught us how to pray Gentle Jesus meek and mild, each night at bedtime we would say   Mama was a wise one, she taught us the value of stability To stand our ground and not fool around, for a rolling stone gathers no moss.   Mama was a wise one, she taught us to be thrifty Not to compete with the Joneses, but to hang our basket where we can reach it   Mama was a wise one, she taught us to have a plan B Not to be swayed by so-so words, for
Read more

Devotional - A New Lease on Life

pub-3751615692135036   Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ...”  Romans 8:11  (MSG)   It is said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and I recently had a personal experience that proves that this saying is quite true. Recently, I threw out an old fan which I had bought years ago when I started working after leaving University. Though it could still function somewhat, it wasn’t as effective as when I first bought it. Constant use over the years had started to take its toll.   It could no longer rotate; it had started to rust and the head was almost severed from the trunk. To me, it was not worth fixing. It seemed useless so I threw it out. Out with the old, in with the new. To my surprise, within a few hours it had found a new owner. My neighbour took it from the garbage heap, cleaned it off, used a piece of cloth to tie the almost severed head and in no time, he had a “new”
Read more

Devotional - A Divinely Ordained Delay (Part 2)

The steps of the righteous man are ordered by the Lord…Psalm 37:23   Recently I saw a post on Facebook which said that sometimes God delays us where we are because He knows that there is a storm ahead.  I was really encouraged as I meditated on this thought.  Our loving Father, who sees danger ahead, prevents us from moving forward as the danger ahead is not part of His plan for us. Then a few days later as I was chitchatting with my co-worker, she related how the previous afternoon she was delayed at the office until 6 pm as she could not find her car keys. She had retraced her steps to areas of the office that she had been to before and searched her bag several times. She even emptied the contents and searched the various compartments of her bag to no avail. At the end of her rope, she called out to God in her distress. Immediately, He answered by telling her to check her bag one more time. Of course, she resisted the idea because she had checked several times before.  Nevert
Read more

Words of Inspiration - Gratitude Is a Must!

  As I walked through my neighborhood early one morning this week, my heart overflowed with joy and gratitude. As I took in the sights and sounds, felt the cool breeze, and saw the sun slowly spread out its warm rays, I gave thanks to God for such wonderful blessings.  I looked towards the lush green mountains I was reminded of Psalm 121,' I will lift my eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the maker of heaven and earth'. Casting my gaze to the intersection where the mountains kissed the sky, Psalm 19 came to mind, 'The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork'. God's green earth and magnificent heaven were certainly on display and I thank God that I was blessed with sight to be a witness of this spectacle. I then began to reflect on my own personal situation. The little C had found me but you would never know if I did not tell you. I was down but certainly not out. I was just experiencing a little bump i
Read more

Devotional - Hidden Things

pub-3751615692135036 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run  with perseverance  the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12: 1   I was pleasantly surprised when what was hidden came to light. I had just bought a new fridge and two of my neighbours were assisting by taking it into the apartment. In order to create additional space at the entrance to the living room, some furniture had to be moved out of the way. It was then that I got my big surprise. Hidden behind the furniture were items I had long forgotten about, things of value that could certainly be put to good use. What were those things? A phone charger and a key ring. How did they get there? I have no idea. As I pondered what had happened, I could immediately see the parallels in our lives. Often there are hidden things in our lives that can only be revealed when we remove the ‘furniture’ aka blockages
Read more