Hearing God's Voice

Revelations 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
I was watching a documentary about Antarctic that was talking about an island where king penguins lived. Thousands of them live on a beach to lay eggs and raise their young. The male and female take turns caring for the egg and the young chicks. Each one will go out into the bay to search for food and bring it back to the other parent and the young. Since all the penguins look alike and there are thousands of them on the beach how do the ones gathering food know where to go to find their mate and family? By the voice of the other parent, each has a very distinct voice the other recognizes.
What does God’s voice sound like? Would you know it if you heard it? We have all heard sermons about the still small voice, about how God speaks to those He is directing, but how can we know it is God’s voice we hear? John 10:4, “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.” Just like a child knows the voice of a mother or father if we are God’s children we know His voice when we hear it. That is not to say we do not hear or recognize the voice of others. We do know a voice belongs to one we know. If we do not hear God’s voice do we know Him and do we recognize Him? A stranger the sheep will not follow the bible says.
If it is not texted, printed or shouted we just don’t think to listen. If we do not recognize the number that comes up in the caller ID we simply don’t answer the call. Is God in your address book? Many times God has to overcome all the noise in our life to just get a word in edgewise. What does He have to do to get us to listen? He will do it the hard way or the easy way and that depends on us. What will it take for God to get your attention?
Jesus is a stranger to many today. As a stranger He is standing outside knocking but His voice is not recognized and as a result the door is not opened. The world is filled with those who are unaware of God’s calling to repentance. One day all will hear His voice and many will not like what they hear. When Jesus comes in the clouds to call His children home will you hear His call? You won’t if He is a stranger to you. If you miss that call there will be no message left to call back, no caller ID with a callback number you phone will be disconnected and out of service. If you miss that call don’t blame God he has been trying to reach you, He has been calling but you were too busy to answer. When you stand face to face with God at the final judgment what reason will you give for missing His call?
One way not to miss the call is to have your name written in God’s contact list. How do you do that? Trust Jesus as savior. Ask Jesus to come into your heart. Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 10:9-10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”