One of my best friends from far away had, now and then, sent me recordings of her and her little family singing together. And although they sang beautifully, it didn’t take me long to realize that it was her voice I especially listened for. Even though I loved her little family as if they were my own, she was the one dearest to my heart and it was her voice I longed to hear. As I listened closely for the voice I knew and loved, the rest of the voices had a way of fading into the background. 

What was interesting to me, was that although I still heard the rest of her family singing, it was her voice that became first and foremost. And although she sang no louder than the rest, it was her voice that my ear caught, making it dominant to me. The more I listened for her voice in new songs she sent, the easier it was for me to pick it out. It got to the point where if we happened to listen in to one of their song services, I didn’t even need to know before hand if she was singing or not. Even with many group songs, I could easily pick her voice out of a group. I knew that voice well.

And isn’t that the way it is with God? He wants us to be keen to his voice. He wants us to know it with everything in us. He says “my sheep hear my voice and they follow me.” Do I know his voice? Do I love it? Have I diligently listened for it enough that I always know when it is Him? Is it dominant to me?

The voices of my friend’s family blend together well and sometimes the eldest daughter can sound very much like her mom and it wants to confuse me. But there are slight differences. Differences in tone or in the way a word is accented. Differences I’ve learned to pick out. 

And like this family, there are voices in life that can sound so much like God’s that we can almost get confused. Satan, as much as he hates to admit it, has listened very carefully to God’s voice. He has taken great diligence to know that voice himself. He knows it is truth. Then, he does his best to mimic it. Can I tell the difference? Can I tell when the accent isn’t the same and when the tone is just a little off? 

God doesn’t speak any louder than anything else. In fact, quite often his voice is so quiet that the other voices overpower his. He speaks in soft tones. Quiet tones. His voice isn’t loud or domineering. But have we learned to know it enough that we hear it? Can we pick it out no matter where we are? Do I hear it when I’m with my peers having fun? Do I recognize it still when I’m in a crowded mall and forget He is there? 

It is only natural that I love my friend’s children. They are hers and she is part of my heart. And although I love to hear their voices too, it is hers my heart waits for. Likewise, it is only natural that we love this earth we have been placed on. God put us here and He has created many good things. But can I love his voice more than anything else? Do I especially listen for his voice? When I do, I will find the other voices have a way of fading into the background. I will find the more I listen for it, the easier it is to hear.

The reason I have learned to know my friend’s voice so well is simple. It’s because I love her. And oh, how I want it to be the same for God. I want to learn to know even more of his voice simply because I love Him.