Our lives are shaped and steered by the voices we choose to listen to.. Some of these voices are internal—the voice of God calling us to truth, the voice of the devil tempting us to sin, or even the echoes of past pain, fears, and insecurities. Others are external—the influence of those we love, the people we lead, mentors we admire, or the powerful pull of culture through television, social media, and society at large. Whether we realize it or not, these voices compete daily for our attention and allegiance. The key to success in life and faith is learning to silence the noise, discern the source, and align ourselves with the one voice that gives life—the voice of God.
Genesis 1:3 begins the biblical story with two words: “God said.” These words carry divine authority—the heavens, the earth, the seas, the mountains, and the entire cosmos respond in perfect obedience, sustained simply because God spoke. At the close of the creation account, God gave Adam a single command: “You may surely eat of every tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:16–17). Unlike the rest of creation, which bowed to the command of God’s voice, Adam and Eve chose to listen to another voice—the serpent’s. Their disobedience was not merely about eating fruit; it was about rejecting the voice that gives life and aligning themselves with another authority. Adam, when presented with two voices, chose the voice of the one he loved at the expense of his relationship with God. His judgment reflects the nature of the sin: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife…” (Genesis 3:17).
This same pattern repeats with Abraham, who was faced with the choice to wait for God’s promise of a son or to listen to his wife’s counsel to have a child through Hagar: “And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai” (Genesis 16:2). The consequence of listening to the wrong voice brought lasting pain to Abraham’s household, for when God fulfilled His promise through Isaac, Abraham was forced to send away Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis 21:14). The cost of misplaced obedience was deep sorrow.
The same failure appears in leaders who feared the people more than God. Aaron, when pressured by Israel to make an idol, gave in to their demand: “Come, make us gods who will go before us” (Exodus 32:1). Instead of standing firm, Aaron fashioned the golden calf, and Israel fell into idolatry with devastating consequences (Exodus 32:2–4). Likewise, King Saul disobeyed God’s direct command to completely destroy the Amalekites and all that belonged to them (1 Samuel 15:3). He spared King Agag and kept the best of the livestock, excusing his actions by blaming the people. At last, Saul admitted the truth: “I have sinned… because I feared the people and listened to their voice” (1 Samuel 15:24). The result was tragic—the kingdom was torn from him, and God rejected him as king. Both Aaron and Saul reveal how easily leaders can falter when they prioritize the voices of the people they lead over the voice of the God they serve.
Another striking example comes in the story of the young prophet in 1 Kings 13. God had clearly commanded him not to eat bread or drink water in Bethel, nor return by the same way he came (1 Kings 13:9). At first, he obeyed, but later an older prophet deceived him, claiming that an angel had told him to bring the young prophet home to eat (1 Kings 13:18). Instead of holding fast to God’s direct word, the young prophet listened to the older man’s voice and disobeyed the command of the Lord. The consequence was immediate and severe: on his journey home, he was killed by a lion (1 Kings 13:24). This story reinforces the same principle—that life, blessing, and safety come only by holding to God’s voice, no matter who else speaks or how convincing they sound.
In contrast to Adam, Abraham, Aaron, Saul, and the young prophet, Jesus shows us the perfect example of obedience. In the wilderness, after fasting forty days, He was tempted by the devil’s voice (Matthew 4:1–11). Each temptation appealed to His hunger, His authority, and His destiny, but Jesus never yielded. Instead, He silenced the enemy by anchoring Himself in the Word of God: “It is written…” was His constant reply. Where others failed by listening to the wrong voices—whether from loved ones, the people they led, or perceived mentors—Jesus triumphed by holding fast to His God’s word. His victory demonstrates that true allegiance is proven in whose voice we choose to obey, and only by listening to God’s voice can we walk in life, freedom, and authority.
Blessings or Curses 