Jody Ray's Blog

Three Voices

Posted: July 7, 2009

John 10:27 (NASB): “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Do you ask God for guidance regarding life decisions? Do you believe God can speak to you regarding your situation? These are very important questions because many people (Christians included) don’t believe God will speak to them.

At any point in time we hear three voices which we must recognize and separate. The voices are our own voice, the voice of satan, and the voice of God.

Imagine that you are in a conversation with three people all at the same time. Each of the three people are trying to give you directions to a particular destination. All these voices, speaking at the same time, makes it impossible to know what direction to go because you can only give full attention to one person. This is the scenario that is replayed over and over again as we try to hear God’s voice regarding the direction we need to go and the decisions we make.

Do you ever “talk to yourself?” Let me answer the question for you – YOU TALK TO YOURSELF. Your voice is developed from all the life experiences you have had throughout your life. Our voice speaks based on our perception of reality regarding our past history, our present situation, and our expectation for what will happen in the future. But you may or may not have an accurate perception of reality. It is crucial that you are aware of your own voice because your preconceived notions can interfere with hearing God’s voice.

The second voice we hear is the voice of satan. In John 8:44 (NASB) Jesus describes Satan by saying, “he is a liar and the father of lies.” In 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Satan is described as one who “disguises himself as an angel of light” for the purpose of deceiving people with his lies. Satan is a counterfeit. He is always trying to imitate the voice of God by speaking in what seems to be truth, but ultimately leads people away from God’s truth.

The third voice is the voice of God (the Holy Spirit). Just as satan is “a liar and the father of lies,” who only speaks partial truth so that he can distort it and deceive you, God’s voice (the Holy Spirit) is the voice of all truth. John 6:13 (NASB): “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” Based on this passage the Holy Spirit is: 1) the voice of all truth, 2) guides us in the right direction, and 3) He discloses what is to come.

Satan’s goal is to do just the opposite. He wants to: 1) distort the truth, 2) guide you in the wrong direction, and 3) keep you from seeing God’s plan for your life.

Hearing the voice of God is the birthright of every born-again believer. God is always speaking – the real issue is can you hear Him. Your ability to hear God’s voice is based on three things: 1) Being a believer (born again), 2) filled with the Holy Spirit, and 3) discerning the three voices.

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