“…The sheep follow Him: for they know His voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.” John 10:4-5
These sheep were not “taught” how to recognize the voice of their shepherd. Rather, they came to “know” his voice because they spent so much time with him. The time we spend waiting upon the Lord is tremendously important.
Along with this, we come to “recognize” the voice of the Lord through our “spiritual experiences.” The Holy Spirit will work with us and help us to learn the Lord's voice. Samuel is a good example of this. He had lain down to sleep and the Lord came and called Him. He ran to Eli thinking it was he who had called, but it was not. After he had come three times, Eli told him that it was the Lord who was calling him. Our translation says, “The word of the Lord was not yet revealed unto Samuel.” But the Hebrew reads, “The voice of the Lord was not yet made known to Samuel.”
The best way to recognize His voice and leadings is by association. As we wait on the Lord and gain experience through our responses to His presence, we come to recognize and understand the voice of the Lord. A young child will usually cry when picked up by another. A newborn will not do this, but because the baby has spent much time with his mother, he has learned to recognize her.
If I were to spend time with you, you would come to recognize the sound of my voice. But if instead, someone explained to you the sound of my voice, it is most probable that you would not recognize it when I came into your presence.
There is a “progression” that we learn through experience that will lead us into His presence.
“Behold I stand at the door and knock” - attention “If any man” - opportunity “Hear” - spiritual perception “My voice” - recognition “Open the door” - response
There is no substitute for spending time in the presence of the Lord. As year by year, we grow spiritually, we will more easily recognize His voice.
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