Where is God’s Voice? I’m not sure I can hear it…
I often wonder whether I am truly hearing God’s voice. Do you feel the same way? This question is especially common when we are faced with difficult decisions where we need God’s guidance. How, then, can we be sure that it is God who is speaking?
- His voice is in his word
The scriptures are a great place to hear God speaking, as the precious words that were penned by his servants over the years were not written randomly. Rather, they were written for you and I, to help us get through our Christian life knowing that there is a manual to refer to in every situation. For example:
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (NLT)
The verse above implies that on reading God’s word, we get to know whether our hidden thoughts are pleasing to him. As such, through his word, he communicates to us what areas of our lives are in line with his perfect plan for us and where we need to improve. Isn’t that awesome?
- His voice is in his creation
A few months ago, I was having a rough time, and there was no end in sight for the pain I was going through. I distinctly remember one day my little girl calling me outside to see a spectacular sight in the sky, and as I looked up, there was this huge cloud covering the sun. Now – what caught my daughter’s eye was, though the sun was covered, its rays were shining from behind the cloud. We could see the bright, silver rays shining in straight lines from behind the grey mass. What did I learn from this? Simple – that the present cloud in my life could not cover the light of God’s glory in me, and that the current darkness paled in comparison to God’s light. What a lesson!
Check out these words from Psalm 29.
Psalm 29:3-5 “The voice of the LORD echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The LORD thunders over the mighty sea. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD splits the mighty cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon.” (NLT)
Just look at his creation today, and hear his calming voice in the gentle breeze and his mighty voice during a thunderstorm. There is always a message to hear in what God has created around us if we listen hard enough.
- In our hearts
Do you sometimes have several voices in your heart, and you are not sure whether it’s God speaking to you or not? Well, you are not alone! Learning to silence the ‘irrelevant’ voices is something every Christian struggles with!
Isaiah 55:3a “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find me.” (NLT)
How do we keep the ears of our heart open so that we only hear God’s voice? Well – I think of it in this way. If I feed my mind with things that do not point me towards God, even in my prayerful moments, I will keep hearing/seeing these things. It will, therefore, be a challenge to focus on God long enough to hear his voice. If I, however, choose to fill my mind with God’s word, his voice will have no competition, as he will speak clearly through the words I have meditated on. God has no desire to compete for our attention with other things; he prefers that we choose to let him in and listen to him!
God’s voice is in his word, in his creation, and in our hearts. Why not take a moment to listen to him today? Let him speak words of love and encouragement to you today.
Let me conclude with this lovely verse from Psalms.
Psalms 32:8 ‘The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.“‘ (NLT)