Hearing and Knowing His Voice

Peter warns us believers living in the last days that Satan will come to them with a loud voice, trying to bring fear. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8, NKJV).

Here is my point: If Satan is making his voice known in these last days, showing his power to a world full of lost people, how much more important is it for God’s people to know their heavenly father’s voice? Do you think the Lord would sit by as Satan roars at the world and yet remain silent? Never! Isaiah said, “The Lord will cause his glorious voice to be heard” (Isaiah 30:30).

Since the time of Adam and Eve, God has been speaking to man. “And they heard the sound of the Lord God” (Genesis 3:8). Adam said, “I heard your voice in the garden” (Genesis 3:10).

From Genesis through to the end of the New Testament, God made his voice known to his people. In the books of the prophets, we see the phrase “And God said . . .” repeated time after time. Through prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah and Joel, God’s voice was known and understood.

Jesus confirmed this in the New Testament, using the example of the good shepherd. “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (John 10:3-4).

Adam hid from God’s voice because of the guilt and shame of his sin. That is exactly where many of God’s people are today, hiding and afraid to hear God speak! If you want to hear God’s voice, you must be ready to have your soul purged and cleansed. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).