And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

- John 10:4

The story of Scripture starts with a Voice - “And God said…”

This Voice carries the story forward, calling Abraham, speaking to Moses from a burning bush and on top of Mt. Sinai, and shouting through the prophets, until the Word became flesh in Galilee. That same Voice closes the Scripture account with, “Surely I am coming quickly.”

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. 

And you can hear His voice. One of the great privileges of knowing Jesus as your Shepherd King is learning to hear and follow His voice! 

Perhaps you have been told that you can't hear the voice of the Shepherd for yourself. It is not always stated explicitly, but the message comes through loud and clear. “You can’t know His voice. You need to listen to me.” This was the message of the religious and political leaders of Jesus’ day. They despised the poor and uneducated for following the Word-made-flesh. Who were these mere commoners to believe they heard the Voice of God on their own?

With this message in your ears, rather than listening for the Voice of the Shepherd, you go searching for the voice of strangers when the way seems unclear. With frantic fervor you consume media, endlessly subscribing and scrolling, looking for a voice that will lead you to health and abundance and life. 

“But,” you say, “doesn’t the Bible say God made some to be teachers and that many counselors bring us wisdom?” Yes. It also says, “do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ” and “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” 

All your teachers, counselors, and mentors are given to help you hear His voice on your own, never to replace it! If someone's voice is not helping you hear His Voice, it is the voice of a stranger and a thief, no matter how religious the speaker sounds. If a preacher doesn’t help you recognize Jesus' voice for yourself, stop listening. If a blog draws you closer to the author than to Jesus, unfollow it — even this blog. If you find yourself quoting anyone more than Jesus, you may need to reprioritize who you are listening to. 

Do not let any other voice supplant His Voice in your heart. He is the one that leads you to green pastures and still waters. He, and he alone, is the one that will show you the path of life. All others are thieves.

Don’t let today go by without pausing to listen for His voice. With the fervor of a lover, guard the place of His voice in your heart, never yielding it to another. Even now, pause. What is He wanting to speak to you? Where is His voice leading you?