Have you ever noticed how a well-trained dog will come to its master’s call and ignore everyone else? Years ago I had a dog named Adak. He was a beautiful Malamute Husky who was extremely intelligent. I worked with Adak every day and he became attuned to my voice and my instructions to the point where I could give a command and even if Adak was in the middle of chasing a squirrel (something he dearly loved to do!) he would immediately stop and obey.
If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.
John 8: 46b – 47
For those of us who know God, we hear His voice when he calls. Sometimes, like the dog whistle I used with Adak, it is more felt than heard. Sometimes it is as subtle as a hand signal, only seen when we are watching for it. Yet when He calls, we hear because we belong to God.
Q: How would you describe the voice of God to someone who has yet to hear it?
A perfect Father.
I love the picture. I want a malamute.
I think Jesus did a great description for that culture of how a sheep responds to the voice of the shepherd (John 10: 27). If the person has a history with sheep, that same analogy may work well. I imagine it is somewhat similar to a dog and its owner (as you described). Or as Nathan says, the voice of a parent. These analogies may be useful as they illustrate the truth in a way they understand.
They are such pretty Dogs (though they need a lot of time). We’ve been talking about eventually getting a dog or a bunny.
I also love the metaphors scripture uses. When we had sheep growing up in many ways I fell into the hired hand category – I didn’t care that much about them, they weren’t bonded to me, and they sure didn’t come when I called lol. A true Shepherd dwells and spends time with the sheep – there is an strong familiarity or bond for the sheep. There is a consistent care and presence – this is something that I try to think about in pastoral ministry in general – it takes time, often years to effectively pastor. Just an additional thought.