Unfollow the Wrong Voices

“The voice of Truth tells me a different story
The voice of Truth says, ‘do not be afraid’
And the voice of Truth says, ‘this is for My glory’
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe
The voice of Truth.”

There have been seasons in my life when I listened to unhealthy voices—voices that didn’t lead me toward peace, wisdom, or love. Voices that didn’t reflect the God I wanted to honor. Sometimes it’s painfully easy to tune our hearts toward whatever voice tells us what we want to hear in the moment. The voice that soothes our impulses, excuses our choices, or numbs our discomfort… even when it quietly harms the people we love most.

David knew this temptation too as recorded in 2 Samuel 11-12.

When he saw Bathsheba bathing on a rooftop, he listened to the voice of lust—a voice that whispered desire and entitlement. That voice grew until it shaped his decisions, his manipulations, and ultimately the death of her husband, Uriah. His moment of listening to the wrong voice spiraled into sin, grief, and consequences that touched an entire household.

Bathsheba became pregnant, and the child died. Later, she bore Solomon, who would become one of Israel’s greatest kings. And I often wonder: Was Solomon always part of God’s plan? Or was this one of those Romans 8:28 moments—where God reaches into human brokenness and brings redemption anyway?

You might think that God still honored David simply because Jesus eventually came through his lineage. And yes—that was God’s plan from the beginning. The promise had already been spoken. The lineage had already been established. God wasn’t scrambling to fix David’s mistake; He was fulfilling a covenant He had made long before David ever stepped onto the scene.

But here’s the part that humbles me:

God didn’t honor David because David got it right.
He honored David because God is faithful.

David’s failures didn’t cancel God’s promises.
David’s brokenness didn’t disqualify God’s plan.
David’s sin didn’t rewrite God’s story—
God’s story rewrote David’s life.

Jesus coming through David’s line isn’t a reward for David's behavior—it’s a testimony to God's unwavering commitment to redeem, restore, and work through imperfect people for His perfect purposes.

2 Samuel 12 shows us the turning point. God sent Nathan with a parable that pierced David’s heart. When truth finally cut through the noise, David didn’t hide—he owned his sin: “I have sinned against the Lord.” He fasted, prayed, and sought God with a broken spirit (Psalm 51). The consequences of his choices were real, but so was God’s mercy. This is why David is remembered as “a man after God’s own heart”—not because he never fell, but because he returned when confronted by truth.

And that tells me something important:

God’s faithfulness is bigger than my failures.

Scripture doesn’t spell out the answer. But it does reveal something steady and hopeful:

David remained a man after God’s own heart.
Not because he was perfect.
Not because he never fell.
But because when confronted with truth, he turned back toward God.

Despite the damage done, despite the weight of his choices, God still worked in his story. Not by erasing the consequences—but by meeting David with mercy, restoration, and purpose.

And that speaks to me.

Because I know what it is to follow the wrong voice.
I know what it is to look back and see the harm it caused.
But I also know the steady, patient call of the Voice of Truth—the One who says:

“Do not be afraid.”
“This is for My glory.”
“Come back to Me.”

Out of all the voices calling out to me, I want that to be the one I choose.
The voice that leads me toward healing, humility, and hope.
The voice that transforms my mistakes instead of defining me by them.

At the end of the day, the Voice of Truth doesn’t just tell a different story—
it tells a better one.

What voice are you listening to today?

Maybe it’s the voice of selfishness.
Maybe it’s the voice of fear, shame, discouragement, or impatience.
Maybe it’s a voice that feels comforting in the moment but quietly pulls you away from who God is shaping you to be.

When I’m trying to discern the Truth, it always helps me to look at how Jesus handled the voices that tried to lead Him astray.

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He faced the same kinds of deceptive voices we wrestle with today. The enemy whispered lies, shortcuts, and distortions—appealing to pride, hunger, identity, and power. But Jesus didn’t argue, negotiate, or entertain those voices.

He refuted every ungodly voice with truth.

Where the enemy twisted God’s Word, Jesus responded with God’s actual heart.
Where the enemy offered immediate relief, Jesus chose obedience.
Where the enemy tempted Him to prove Himself, Jesus rested in who He already was.

Jesus’ responses teach us three life‑giving practices:

1. Know the Voice of Truth

Jesus wasn’t shaken because He knew the Father’s heart.
When you know the real thing, counterfeits lose their power.

2. Don’t debate with the wrong voice

Jesus never went back and forth with the enemy.
He simply answered with truth and shut the door.

3. Stand firm in identity

Before the wilderness, the Father had already declared Him His beloved Son.
The enemy immediately tried to undermine that identity—and he still uses that tactic today.

Ungodly voices get loud when we’re tired, lonely, overwhelmed, or uncertain—just like Jesus was after 40 days of fasting and David on that rooftop. But Jesus shows us that we are not powerless. We don’t fight with willpower…
we fight with truth.

And the Voice of Truth always speaks life.

Take a moment today—right now—to ask yourself:

“Is this the Voice of Truth, or simply noise?” God’s voice is rarely the loudest; it’s the still, small one that brings peace.

Choose the voice that leads to life, peace, courage, and purpose.
Choose the voice that never condemns but always calls you upward.
Choose the Voice of Truth.

It speaks life.

Sandy

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27