Voices! Voices! Voices! There are plenty of them out there, all jostling to be heard. If you turn on the radio, you’ll hear a smattering of all kinds of voices. One station screeches out rock lyrics, another bombards you with advertising jingles, another tickles your emotions with gushy sentimental music. One commentator praises this politician while casting an exaggerated blame on his opponent. On another station, a talk-show host is interviewing his favorite expert. All feel that their voice should be heard by everyone. And that’s only the radio—not even mentioning the other forms of electronic media and talking to people in person.

So, with so many voices saturating both the airwaves and the actual air, how are we to recognize the voice of our heavenly Father who is all-knowing, all-powerful and who loves us before we were ever born?

1. What do we need to realize about the awesome voice of the One who made us? Psalm 29:4, 5.

2. Describe what the creative, life-giving voice of God can do. Psalm 33:8, 9; John 5:15.

“In the formation of our world, God was not indebted to pre-existing matter. On the contrary, all things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice and were created for His own purpose. The heavens and all the host of them, the earth and all things therein, are not only the work of His hand; they came into existence by the breath of His mouth.”—The Faith I Live By, p. 24.

3. What is the first thing we need to do in order to hear and benefit from God’s voice? Psalm 46:10 (first part). Which way did God use to speak to the prophet Elijah? 1 Kings 19:11–13.

“When Elijah sought God in the mountains, a devouring fire swept by; but God was not in the flame. A tempest rose, the thunder rolled, and the lightnings flashed; but God was not in all this. Then there came a still, small voice, and the prophet covered his head before the presence of the Lord. It is the still, small voice of the Spirit of God that has power to convict and convert the soul.”—Gospel Workers, p. 266. [1892 edition.]

All week long, the voice was ringing in my ears, “Call your aunt, she is going to die soon.” I had just visited my aunt and knew she was dying from lung cancer. But, now the sweet voice of the Holy Spirit nudged me to call my cousin and see how aunt was doing. I kept on dismissing the “soft voice” thinking, “I will call tomorrow.” Finally, I called on Friday and my cousin told me that aunt Rachel is very weak.

I encouraged my cousin for the passing of her mother. I shared with her how recently the Lord helped my sons and me deal in the last moments of my dying husband. I told her, “You are not alone. Your heavenly Father is with you in the room. He sees and feels the pain and sorrow you and your mom are going through.” She suddenly told me, “Wait, wait, my mom is taking slow breaths. I think she is dying.” I hung up the phone and prayed for my aunt and cousins as they went through their Gethsemane. Ten minutes later, my cousin called me and said, “My mother has passed away. God sent you to call me just a few minutes before to encourage me. Your words comforted me and gave me courage to go through these difficult times. After we hung up, I knelt and thanked God that I had listened to His still small voice, and was able to be of help.

1. When the first couple lived in Eden, what wonderful voice did they hear every day? Genesis 3:8. Why did they begin to avoid this voice? John 3:19, 20.

“Often as [Adam and Eve] walked in the garden in the cool of the day they heard the voice of God, and face to face held communion with the Eternal.”—Education, p. 21.

“In his sinless state, man held joyful communion with Him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. But after his sin he could no longer find joy in holiness, and he sought to hide from the presence of God.”—The Signs of the Times, October 25, 1905.

2. Since we know that it is for our best interest to hear God’s voice, how only can we develop a real desire to hear Him? Psalm 34:8.

“How shall we know for ourselves God’s goodness and His love? The psalmist tells us . . . ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good’ (Psalm 34:8). Instead of relying upon the word of another, taste for yourself.”—God’s Amazing Grace, p. 252.

What would you do if you had pain and itching in your ears and hearing loss? Most people would visit a physician and perhaps find out they have a cerum impaction—a built-up of wax that is clogging their ears. Our Creator designed our inner ears in such a way that they virtually clean themselves. He wants us to be able to hear well because He loves us.

But did you know that the so-called people of God have a history of unnaturally “plugging their ears”? No, their ears were not plugged with wax, rather they were practicing sin in their lives and did not want to hear what God had to say about it. Our corrupt human heart naturally wants to do evil, so we may lie to ourselves thinking, “As long as I don’t hear what God says, everything will be all right.” What a dangerous deception!

1. Since we all tend to go astray at times, what message of hope does God give to us? Isaiah 53:6; 30:21.

2. What instruction did Jesus receive from His Father each morning before starting His day? Isaiah 50:4, 5. How did Jesus respond?

Do you ever get telephone calls from people whose voice you recognize? You don’t need to ask who is calling or to check your caller ID. Why? Because you know the sound of the person’s voice. If we have that kind of close relationship with sinful humans, how much more important it is to be able to recognize the voice of the eternal God, the One who loves you and who never makes a mistake!

1. How does Christ illustrate the wonderful closeness we are to have with Him? John 10:27, 28.

2. Name the ways by which the Lord speaks to people. Why is it so important for us to pay attention? Acts 17:30, 31.

“Through nature and revelation, through His providence, and by the influence of His Spirit, God speaks to us.”—Steps to Christ, p. 93.

“God has spoken to us through His Word. He has spoken to us through the Testimonies to the church.”—Evangelism, p. 260.

Most of today’s e-mail service providers make it possible for you to be able to get rid of spam—those unwanted messages sometimes sent by pranksters with bad intentions. You can delete these messages after they arrive or even prevent many of them from invading your inbox.

1. Since we hear so many voices demanding our attention today, what warnings must we keep in mind? Deuteronomy 8:19, 20.

“The Lord requires us to obey the voice of duty, when there are other voices all around us urging us to pursue an opposite course. It requires earnest attention from us to distinguish the voice which speaks from God. We must resist and conquer inclination, and obey the voice of conscience without parleying [discussing with the enemy] or compromise, lest its promptings cease and will and impulse control. . . . This voice [Word of God] is heard in warnings, in counsels, in reproof.”—God’s Amazing Grace, p. 202.

2. What should we do whenever we don’t feel like obeying God’s voice? Hebrews 3:14, 15.

“True faith asks the Lord, ‘What wilt Thou have me to do?’ and when the way is marked out by the Master, faith is ready to do His will, at whatever hardship or sacrifice.”—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 183.

Are you in tune with your heavenly Father’s voice like this special child was?

1. How did God speak to a child who was willing to hear and obey His voice while a priest was not willing to listen? 1 Samuel 3:1–12, 15–18.

Am I asking God to help me to really love to hear His voice through the Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, and through His providence?

Do I enjoy spending time in nature? In which ways has God been speaking to me there?

Am I paying serious attention to the messages that the Scriptures and the Spirit of Prophecy teach?

Has what I learned from these books helped me in my life?

Do I refuse to be tricked by voices that speak contrary to God’s word and His law?