God's Voice?

Scripture:
John 10:1-6 (NASB)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

Devotional:

Something I struggle with all the time is hearing God’s voice.  Sheep at least can recognize the voice of the shepherd.  There was a short lived TV show called FireFly.  In it was a character who basically was a priest or pastor.  In the show he was known as a Shepherd.  His calling was to minister to the “lost sheep” throughout the galaxy, or known space.  We are the lost sheep from God’s flock.  Christ is our shepherd.  We are told that we will know His voice.

On one hand it seems that I never can seem to hear His voice calling out.  On the other hand my mind grows blank when I attempt to write the daily devotional thoughts out.  I read the scripture and then a devotional.  Afterwards I ponder what I read, and then pray about it.  I go to write my thoughts, but nothing comes out.  After I pause to pray a time or two the words will just start flowing out.  Somewhere, somehow I do hear God’s voice speaking to me.  I just do not realize it.  The problem is not that I do not recognize his voice, or sometimes not even hear it.  The problem is that I am too busy to listen.  I say I can’t hear but the truth is I am not listening.  I get too busy with everything going on around me that I lose focus.

I just finished reading in a book by Joyce Meyers about being too busy.  We are so busy that we have no time for God.  The busier we get the less time we make for Him.  Do you have trouble hearing or recognizing God’s voice?  If so maybe the problem isn’t that God is not speaking.  Maybe the problem is that you are too busy to hear him talk.  No matter how busy you are, you can never be too busy for God.  As a matter of fact the busier your day is the more you need Him.  I encourage you to pause a moment or two to just be with God.  You don’t have to speak.  Just be with Him…