As believers, you and I must be trained to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. In our world today, our ears are bombarded with the opinions of social media, the news, our family and friends, and our experiences. How can we distinguish truth from a lie? Who has been in your ear telling you how to react to your current situation? Who or what is telling you how to respond to the social issues of the day? If we are to be followers of Christ, you and I must hear what the word of God says and act on it.

    One of the ways we are taught to hear God’s voice is through His word.  The NKJV in Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Another way for us to listen to the Holy Spirit is told to us in 1 Peter 4:7. It tells us to be self-controlled and sober-minded. You and I should not immediately believe what the world says. The word of God must be our straight edge; it is our guide in all things.

    Acts 13:6-8 gives us an example of who is in our ear. It says, “Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered, and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing.” Mmmmm! If our family, friends, or co-workers are not leading us to Jesus and His word, we must get them out of our ear.