935) When I was young, my brother got a tape recorder for Christmas. I remember that all of us kids would sit down and record us saying silly things, making noises and such and then we’d play it back and laugh. What I also remember was how strange it seemed to hear my voice on tape. It’s almost as if I didn’t recognize myself.

In John 10:1-6, Jesus speaks of the fact that sheep know their shepherd’s voice and when they hear it, they will respond. He was contrasting this with the fact that many of the Pharisees of his day, as well as other religious leaders, didn’t choose to follow him because they don’t recognize his voice.

Though we may never hear audibly God speaking while on this earth, we need to develop the discernment that comes with recognizing God’s voice within his word and our hearts. There have been many heart-breaking situations that have risen because someone didn’t recognize that the voice they heard was not from God.