Over 50 years ago, I heard a voice that compelled my attention. I was at a friend’s house when I heard the muffled voices of a group of girls having a party upstairs. Among the muted sounds of the girls’ laughter and talk, I kept hearing a recurring voice that captured my attention. “Whose voice is that?” I inquired of my friend. He knew the voice, because it was a friend of his—LaVerne. But it was the first time I had heard her voice, and I was intrigued. In fact, I was so intrigued that I married her seven years later, and now I know her voice anywhere.

Jesus told His disciples that sheep follow the shepherd “because they know his voice” (John 10:4). How did they know his voice? They had learned from experience to trust the voice of their shepherd.

To hear the Lord’s voice clearly, we must have a growing love relationship with God and trust Him. It’s that simple. The more intimately we know God, the more immediate will be our recognition of His voice through all the noise of life.