Recognizing God's Voice

“The sheep follow him because they know his voice.”    

—John 10:4

My first successful spring turkey hunt took place with Pastor Tom Zimmerman, May 19, 1994. I vividly remembered the hunt, but I specifically recalled the date because Tom gave me a photo of our hunt with the date on the back. It was late in the season so Tom called with a gobble tube walking all over the mountain to give the impression that he was a tom turkey strutting around the woods.

Earlier that season, I learned to recognize the distinctive sound of a turkey gobbling. Tom would call, and we would listen. As we walked along, I would hear a sound and ask Tom, “Was that a gobble?” “No,” he replied, “I think that’s a dog bark.” Later, I’d hear another sound, “Was that it?” “No, that’s a distant crow.” Being new to Spring Gobbler season, I wasn’t exactly sure what a turkey gobble sounded like in the woods.

Finally, Tom called, and a gobbler replied. There was no question in my mind; I heard it loud and clear. When you hear a big bird aggressively gobble in the spring, there is no mistaking it. I didn’t have to ask, “Is that it?” I knew for sure it was a turkey gobble. From that point on to this day when I am in the woods and hear a turkey calling, I recognize it almost instantly.

Just as I was naïve about turkey hunting, many people are unsure what God’s voice sounds like. God speaks today by the Holy Spirit through circumstances, the Bible, prayer, and the Church, but we often mistake other voices for the voice of God. We see a door for our future close, or a door open for that matter, and we conclude God has spoken. We read a verse in the Bible that seems to fit our situation, and we determine God is using that verse to direct us. The pastor or a church leader makes a comment on one situation, and we believe God intends that message for us.

How can we be sure what God is saying to us? I heard a speaker once say, “If you are a Christian and cannot tell the difference from God’s voice and the voice of the world, your flesh, or the devil, you are in deep trouble.” I liken my early turkey hunting experience to learning to recognize God’s voice. At first when we begin to listen for God’s voice, we tend to think everything and anything might be God speaking to us. After a few times of hearing from God, His voice becomes familiar. When we hear God speak another time and again, we know for certain that it is God.

The Good Shepherd passage of John 10 describes a shepherd calling his sheep. The sheep hear, recognize, and follow their shepherd. Once, I saw this dramatized on a video. Several shepherds brought their different flocks to an oasis in the desert. The sheep became completely intermingled with one another. When it was time to go, each shepherd began to leave giving his own distinctive series of whistles and calls. The sheep recognized their shepherd’s voice and followed him.

In order to recognize God’s voice, you must take the time and practice listening. It also takes a willingness to act on what you hear. John 10:4 says that the shepherd “goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” If you are truly seeking to hear from God, you must be ready to follow Him. If you come to God listening for His voice with a willing heart to heed whatever He says, I guarantee you will hear and recognize the voice of God. “Did you hear that?” “Was that God?” Maybe. Try it again.