JULY 10

THE VOICE WITHIN

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. – A stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.” (John 10:27,5)

The Voice within, the Shepherd’s Voice,
Has now become my foremost choice.
From deep within now let Him speak,
His truth alone to daily seek.

Again we have an allegory – with the Shepherd, and the stranger, and there is a sense in which we have them both within us. The Shepherd is the Voice of the Spirit of God, the stranger is the voice of the carnal mind. I dare say our spiritual maturity is evidence by the “voice” which we hearken to, and follow. God is Spirit, and He contacts us through our spirit. “There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” (Job 32:8).

Interesting to observe the various levels of spiritual growth. When the Spirit of God is moving deep into the hearts of those who hear His Voice, others seem to withdraw and almost appear bored with the service. Then if another voice begins to speak, appealing to the soulish realm, they suddenly come alive and respond accordingly with their manifestations. And finally, as another voice simply speaks that it is time for the “pot-luck lunch to be served,” there are those who endured all the service thus far, now they begin to respond. Each has heard a “voice,” whether of The Shepherd, the stranger, or the flesh.

Paul’s statement hits the point, “There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world…” (1 Cor. 14:10). If we try to hear them all, it brings gross confusion. Thus the need to learn to recognize the Voice of our True Shepherd, as His Spirit bears witness to our spirit, and that is sufficient, regardless of how many other voices sound off to the contrary.

For in His presence all is peace,
His righteousness thy sure release,
He calms the storm, the waves are still,
The Voice within bespeaks His will.