Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.” There are many who claim to hear the voice of God. A politician says that God told him to run for office. A pastor says that God told him that the church has to do this or that program. A lunatic says that God told him to bomb an abortion clinic. Can we say that any of these know the voice of God? Perhaps the former two were right, but the third is definitely mistaken.
Our culture is full of voices. We live in a country where everyone has his voice. We cannot turn around without being confronted with slogans, claims and assertions. How can we not lose the voice of God in the racket? Is it any wonder that, from time to time we make a mistake?
Perhaps the strongest competing voice is my own: my desires, ideas and agendas. Too often I do not acknowledge the sway that they hold over me. They are in the back of my mind whispering to me, “this way to the path of goodness.” It is only when I look in the mirror that I see that it is I who am talking and not God. Do I know God’s voice?
The ancients were honest about all these voices. They need to be acknowledged and confronted. We need to wrestle with them. We need to expose them for what they are. Only then, when we have come to terms with the voices of the world and the voices from within, can we be sure that we hear the voice of God.
