Grace Notes // His Voice - Week 2
Written by Keli Miller
IDENTITY AND DESTINY
Prophecy can feel like a loaded word. For me, it’s always felt like a slightly oversized sweater (and not the cute, trendy kind), it doesn’t seem to fit right when coming out of my mouth. When you read the definition, it’s no wonder that the word itself feels next level. “A revelation emanating from divine discourse, declaring the purposes of God.” I mean, yes, I hear from God but rarely would I describe it as “divine discourse”. Let’s read this definition through a simpler lens: As Pastor Chris put it on Sunday, prophecy is, “God speaking, me listening, and when appropriate, sharing.”
This is much bigger than God taking the form of a spiritual fortune teller. This is God speaking into every aspect of our lives - past, present, and future. It is God lending us divine insight to broaden our understanding and insight into how it plays out in our life. God’s prophetic voice speaks of identity and direction and we were all hard wired to hear it.
“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” (John 10:3-5)
I love the picture that this passage paints. Notice how the sheep listen for the shepherd’s voice and respond to it. See how the shepherd speaks identity and the sheep are known. The shepherd calls to his sheep and lead his sheep into what lies ahead, their destiny. But also notice this key line, “But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” There are other voices in this picture. There are other voices that want to speak their own identity and destiny over our lives and they are waiting for us to listen and respond. Our response to the voices that we hear is the crucial part of this equation. I want to claim that last verse as a prophecy for my own life, “That I will never follow a stranger’s voice”. I want to be so tuned into my Shepherd's voice that I do not even recognize another’s voice.
Friends, we were each created in God’s very own image. His voice is a part of you and you can hear it. That is the unshakeable truest truth. Hearing God is not reserved for those in the “spiritual big leagues”. His voice speaks to each one of his sheep. He calls to each individual one and guides them. We get to hear and respond to his voice.
In the Word
John 10:1-5
1 Corinthians 14:1-12
Matthew 7:15-20
Processing Questions
What words of prophecy have I spoken over others (with or without knowing it)? What words have been spoken over me?
Are there times when I am slow to respond to God’s voice?
How am I able to identify God’s voice?