THE VOICE THAT CALLS MY NAME
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27)
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and share fellowship with him.” (Revelation 3:20)
There is nothing quite like hearing the voice of Jesus. It is not always audible, but it is unmistakable. His words do not echo through the air as much as they move through the heart. There are many voices in this world, but only one carries the sound of eternal love — the voice that calls us by name.
When Jesus speaks, He speaks personally. He knows who we are, where we are, and what we need most. He never mistakes one sheep for another. The world may pass us by unnoticed, but the Shepherd never does. When He calls, His voice is gentle yet full of power — the power that awakens faith, calms fear, and turns the wandering heart homeward.
I have learned that hearing His voice begins with quietness. The Shepherd’s call is not heard through hurried living. It comes when the soul has grown weary of its own noise and bows low enough to listen. Many times I could not hear Him because I was speaking too much, planning too much, or worrying too much. But when I grew still and honest before Him, His voice came softly, and peace followed closely behind.
The voice of Jesus does not accuse or condemn. It calls us out of darkness into light. Even His rebuke is clothed in mercy, for it is meant to restore what sin has broken. I have felt His correction pierce deeply, yet always with the tenderness of a hand that heals as it wounds. That is how love speaks — firmly, faithfully, and always for our good.
Sometimes He calls through Scripture, other times through prayer, and often through circumstances that bring us to our knees. Yet no matter how He speaks, the purpose is always the same — to draw us nearer to Himself. The call of Christ is not to religion or routine; it is to relationship. He wants our hearts, not our performance.
There was a time I thought hearing from God was rare, reserved for the saints of old. But now I see that He still speaks — to the humble, to the hungry, to the ones who dare to listen. His sheep still know His voice because He still knows His sheep. When the heart is tuned to trust, even the faintest whisper of His will becomes clear.
If you have ever wondered whether He still calls your name, know this: He has never stopped. Even if you have wandered far, His love has gone farther. Even if you have failed, His grace remains greater. Open your heart once more, and you will find Him standing near, knocking softly, calling you to come and walk with Him again.
His voice is life. It is the voice that spoke the world into being, the voice that stilled the sea, the voice that will one day raise the dead. And yet, that same voice bends low enough to speak peace to your troubled heart.
Lord Jesus, help me to hear Your voice above all others. Quiet my heart and clear my mind until Your Word becomes the song of my soul. Call my name again, and give me the grace to answer. Let Your voice lead me in love and keep me near to You always. Amen.
Bryan Dewayne Dunaway
