"Welcome, Canines for Companions!" the motel sign displayed as the engine arrived on scene. Clay Ennis Hand dismissed the meaning of the sign and headed to the third floor where his crew would be attacking a supposed one room fire. Designated Sector Three, he heard the radio blare out for them to be certain every room was cleared of occupants. "Surely no one is still up here," Clay reasoned to himself. The hose tightened as it filled with water and he pulled it through the hallway, dousing the faint, orange glows that had extended well away from their origin. Thick smoke prohibited any vision whatsoever. "Where is this thing at?" he said, tugging at the hose that was evidently stuck on a corner.Strangely, his memory verse popped into his head at that moment: "Consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." (Luke 8: 18) He then realized things had quieted down while he recited this verse. Everything except this rhythmic sound of a dog barking down towards the end of the hallway. He couldn't hear it before, with all of the radio traffic and everyone working around him, not to mention the noise of his own breathing. Then the meaning of the sign came to life like a light bulb turning on inside of his head. "Canines for Companions is as assistance dog program for the physically disabled! There was someone still up here!" Clay resolved. " I gotta get these ears cleaned out!""He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." (John 8: 47) This warns us that if we are not sure if we hear from God, we may be in trouble in our Christian walk. Too frequently, we can not hear what God is saying because we are making so much noise ourselves. How can we know we are hearing from God? God uses the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church. Each of these is used to increase our faith and build a strong love relationship with God. Too many times we let "self" get in the way and keep us from and encounter with God. We try to do everything ourselves, with our own wisdom, with our own decisions, and with our own directions. But in knowing that God is already working around us and would like to use us to further His ministry, we can start to learn how to listen to God's voice to lead our lives.So what do we do? Deny our "self" and pray. Pray that God will allow His Holy Spirit to reveal His truth through our Bible study, our prayers, our circumstances, and our church. Then we adjust our lives to the truths revealed and obey what He says. Only then will He work through us to accomplish His purposes. To God be the glory.