Isaiah 30:21
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you,
saying, ‘this is the way; walk in it.’”
by Allyson King
Recently, my husband and I had the opportunity to watch a friend’s son play in a collegiate soccer game. Since he plays for a local university and grew up here, he always has a large cheering section of friends and family in attendance.
During the game, one of his brothers had some constructive criticism for him and was, in effect, attempting to coach him from the stands. Yet, our player did not seem to hear him. He was tuning out the noise of the crowd.
A little later, his coach yelled something from the opposite side of the field. Immediately, our friend shifted positions as requested. He knew the voice calling to him was the one he needed to obey.
It hit me that this is the way I need to heed God’s voice! Indeed, this concept is scripturally based. Isaiah 30:21 tells us, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘this is the way; walk in it.’” And in John 10, Jesus tells His disciples that He is the Good Shepherd and His sheep know His voice and follow Him.
So how do we know the voice of Jesus well enough to distinguish it from the world’s noise?
There is so much vying for our attention. It would be easy to distinguish between voices if everything the world was throwing our way was “bad.” But so many of the things are “good!”
However, God’s voice is the BEST!
In order to hear and recognize the Lord’s voice above other things, consider the following:
- Learn His voice by spending time in His Word. The more time spent immersing yourself in God’s Word, the easier it is to recognize what is truly God’s voice.
- Practice obedience in the small everyday things. As you study the Bible, apply what God is teaching you. Everyday obedience primes you to obey in the hard times.
- Compare “good” things to God’s Word. It is easy to recognize things that are completely opposite of God’s Word. But sometimes, it takes intentional study to see if things that sound “good” align with Scripture.
- In challenging times, ASK God to show you the right thing and then listen actively, intently, and expectantly for His voice above the noise.
I encourage you to learn the art of listening to the Lord now, so you will be able to hear His voice in the chaotic times.
Allyson is a trusted adviser. She grew up in the front row of a small-town church where she fell in love with the Word of God. She’s North Carolina State graduate.
Allyson’s attention to detail is pertinent in her role as KGM’s Core Ministries Director. She is well-versed in the Word and an incredible resource for a variety of things from how to respond to a challenging email to doctrinal proficiency. To learn more about Allyson, click here!
Wednesday, October 23rd: Trusting God when Life Hurts
Wednesday, November 6th: Who Me? A Missionary?
10:00am – 11:30am
107C Fountain Brook Circle, Cary
Limited seating. Sign up soon!
Friday, November 15th
Trusting in the Names of God
Speaker: Elizabeth Murphy from Just Between Us Ministries
