How to Know the Voice of the Shepherd

How do you get to know someone? There is only one way by which we can know His voice and that is by hearing it.  There is only one way we can hear it, and that is by listening to it.  Blessed are those that know the joyful sound, the still, small voice of the Master.  Those that listen to and know this voice will never be deceived.  A stranger they will not follow. These ones are governed by His words; they are led by His Spirit and they are maturing into sons of God.

The article titled “How to know the voice of the Great Shepherd” is a discussion about recognizing the voice of Christ amidst the many voices and distractions in the world. The article suggests that the only way to know the voice of Christ is by hearing it, which can only be done by listening to it. Those who know His voice will not be deceived by the voices of strangers.

JESUS is the Good Shepherd

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 

When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.  

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

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand (John 10:14;  John 10:4-5; John 10:27-28).

So Many Voices in the World Today

There are so many voices in the world today. Never in human history were there so many voices in the world all clamoring to be heard, all clamoring for attention and seeking for disciples to follow them. Every gimmick is been employed to gain our attention. Every imaginable scheme and device is put forth to arouse the masses, to gain public interest, capture the mind, and cause them to open their pocketbooks.  Every conceivable artifice is being used to compel the attention of the unwilling ear.  This clamor of voices is by no means confined to the advertisement of salesmen, but also the clamor of religious voices of the professing church.  It is incessant, unceasing day and night. These voices are always seeking to grab us like the octopus’ arms from which it’s difficult to get away; you escape one arm and the other wraps around you and with the its suction cups pulls you in.  

The only people who are safe and secure and will not be deceived are those who know the voice of Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep. These ones can shut out all these strange voices and hear the voice of the true Shepherd clearly and distinctly.  These are His sheep and “a stranger they will not follow, for they know not the voice of strangers.”

Make Time for Prayer with Fasting

We must not become so busy with Christian activity and service that we have no time for prayer and fasting, no time to meditate on the word of the Lord, and no time to quietly sit at His feet and learn his ways. We must not allow the hurly-burly of activities around to prevent us from hearing when He’s calling or speaking to us.  Those who would set time apart to listen to His voice and who would let His words abide in them would know His will. And His desire will be their guide.  These ones would ask what they will and it will be granted unto them because they, like their Master, have no will of their own but the will of God. They know His will and this has become their will also. They know His voice because they are acquainted with Him from much time spent at His feet listening to His words.

We must be cognizant of this natural fact that though healthy sheep know and only follow the voice of their shepherd, a sick sheep could follow the voice of a stranger. This, then, must be the reason many Christians follow man’s organized religion instead of following Christ and Him alone. They have become sick from starvation and spiritual malnutrition. They have lost their grip on Christ, the Good Shepherd, and they have turned to following hirelings whose care is not for the flock, but for their personal gain.

Fomula For Knowing the Voice of the Shepherd

I wish there is some simple formula by which believers could know the voice of the Good Shepherd and by which they could easily distinguish it from every other voice in the world, but no such simple formula exists. We come to know the voice of Christ, our Shepherd only by constantly hearing it.  Just as a mother can distinguish between the voices of her children from continually hearing them, so also by familiarization we come to distinguish the voice of Christ from that of a stranger.

This is spiritual understanding which cannot be mistaken as we live in contact with Him. He said, “My sheep know My voice.”  There is only one way His Sheep could possibly know His voice and that is by hearing it in the depths of their heart. It is an inner hearing, it is a spiritual thing.  It is not that our Shepherd speaks in audible tones, for He seldom does, but that there is an inner voice that comes from the Holy Ghost residing in us. 

Silence All Other Voices

One way of helping ourselves to hear this voice more clearly is by silencing all other voices, especially those loud voices of the flesh. To help us hear the voice of Christ speaking to our spirit within, we ought to give ourselves to seasons of prayer and fasting. Fasting cleanses the body and when done in atmosphere of prayer and worship can enlighten our spiritual eyes by silencing the clamoring voices of the senses and thus allowing us to hear the Master’s voice. Fasting can be effective in breaking the bandages that tie us to the world and the flesh so that our spirit is liberated from the flesh to meet with God. But fasting must be done with prayer otherwise it is just another dieting exercise and indeed may offer our body some benefits but will be of no spiritual value. What we need to practise is “prayer and fasting”. We must also not let fasting become a religious ceremony, or something that we do to let other see how spiritual we’re, otherwise it becomes feckless, a form of godliness that is void of the power of God.  Prayer and fasting can loosen us from the power of the flesh and from her passions and desires which resist and stand in the way of the spiritual man. It is during these hours dedicated to prayer and fasting that the believer can cultivate the spiritual skill of knowing His voice.

Earnestly Seek to Follow Christ Only

Seek to follow only Christ, my brother, and, when you follow only Him, you will make the blessed discovery that you are not only in harmony with God, but in fellowship with every believer who also follows only Him.

Learn to listen to the voice of Christ and by constantly listening and practicing to listen you will become conversant and able to discern the voice of the Good Shepherd. Give ear to His voice much more than you do to the clamoring voices of men. You will be surprised, when you wait before Him, to see just how many wonderful things He’ll reveal to your heart. His voice is a still, small voice that can only be heard when we are quiet and all other voices are stilled and when personal ambitions fade from our hearts. When the soul is hushed, and the ceaseless demands of the body are put to naught, then the voice of the Good Shepherd is heard speaking in His holy temple, which is your inner man; for “the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him” Hab 2:20 

Live in Communion with Him

The more you live in communion with Christ the more obvious will be the voice of strangers. No one can explain this inner voice to you, you must experience it for yourself. As we live constantly in harmony with the Spirit of God, we are able to smell the rottenness of the flesh, even at a distance and we are able to heed His call casting off the works of darkness. 

“The night is far spent; the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” Rom. 13:12-14.

Conclusion

 To hear the voice of Christ, it is essential to take time for prayer, fasting, and meditating on the word of the Lord. Fasting helps in silencing the clamoring voices of the senses and allowing us to hear the Master’s voice. We must not let fasting become a religious ceremony or something we do to impress others. It is only by seeking to follow Christ alone that we can be in harmony with God and in fellowship with every believer who also follows Him. “When He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them; and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice.” (John 10:4)