I wonder if anyone is wondering how you can hear the Holy Spirit's voice or sense His prompting? How can we cooperate with anyone we cannot see? How do we know that we are not just following our own thoughts? Jesus said, ". . . the sheep hear his voice: and he calls them all by name, and leads them out. . . . I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold : them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there is one fold, and one shepherd." This passage from the Gospel of John 10:3-4, 14-16 lets us know that if we are God's sheep we will hear His voice.
God wants us to KNOW Him, even as the Father knows the Son, and the Son knows the Father. He wants us to become familiar with His voice. Most people don't audibly hear His voice. Though I had a friend tell me just today that one morning, just the day after she had spent an intense time in prayer with her dying mother-in-law, she heard an audible man's voice saying, "Is work really so important today?" She did not realize that her loved one had passed away in the night. She went to work as usual, and only late in the day did the family let her know that Mom had passed away. She asked, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" They said that they were afraid she would interfere with their having a traditional Buddhist or Taoist funeral, so did not want her over there early on. God had spoken, but like many of us--especially when we just have a recurring thought or idea, or a strong impression--she did not RECOGNIZE it as God's voice. That takes practise, like a baby putting one step in front of another learning to walk. Sometimes we really hear wrong and run with a thought ahead of God. But often we shrug off the thoughts as if they were our own; only later after things have gone awry do we realize, "Oh, if I'd only listened to that thought! That must have been God talking to me. Next time I'll listen!" Then one step at a time with Jesus, we learn to recognize God's way with us, how He talks to us or nudges us in the right direction. It takes practise, like anything else. We may fall along the way, but the Lord desires so much that we learn to walk with Him. Of course hiding God's Word in our hearts is so important; it will help us discern God's voice. He won't ever ask you to do something counter to His Word.
I went to the park the other day to walk the dog. When I was approaching a group of ladies sitting on benches I felt like God wanted me to go over and start talking with one of them. But before I knew it, she had gotten up and walked away! So I thought, "God must want me just to go over there and sit down," which I aimed to do. But by the time I got there many of the seats were filling up with ladies who had just finished exercising. Amongst them was a lady I knew. She greeted me, but did not invite me to sit down with her. She and her friends had been in the middle of a conversation, and I felt like I would be intruding. So I wandered off, asking God if I'd heard Him wrong. Just that second, I met a new group of friends, three women in their 80s--Yang Mama, Huang Mama, and Chen Su Huei. One of them immediately invited me to sit down with them. We visited for about an hour, and they were all really attentive when I got to share the Gospel. None of them got fidgety and ready to leave. I don't even remember now how the conversation turned to God, but it was a precious time. AND they invited me back, saying that they gathered there in the park every day between 7 and 8!
So I'm definitely still learning to recognize God's voice and cooperate with Him. But sometimes it's like God takes us from A to B to C, then finally we land at His intended destination--D! He's very patient and kind, and I wonder if He's watching us and applauding our baby steps like a loving father. One thing's for sure--His sheep hear His voice, and He wants to use us to bring many more sheep into His fold! For the Shepherd has given His life for the sheep!
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