Listening to God's Voice
The Bible begins with one main author speaking clearly and consistently, God. God spoke, and things were created. The heavens and the earth were made by Him, and through Him, everything was brought into existence from one person. We see the repetitive phrase "And God said," in Genesis 1, as creation is formed. And thus, establishing God speaking as the foundation.
If God's voice is the author and foundation of creation, then it must be the most powerful sound there is. But today, we have trouble discerning which voice is God's and how His voice sounds. Even if we do hear it, many still struggle to understand and recognize that it is truly God speaking.
As humans, we have all faced the challenge of hearing and listening when God is speaking. But throughout Scripture, it is affirmed that God has always been speaking. We see this clearly in John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This verse emphasizes that the Word (Logos) is divine, eternal, and central to God's revelation. Ultimately, this Word is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is the incarnate Word (John 1:14).
More specifically, Hebrews 1:1-2 says, "In the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe." This shows that God's most complete and final way of speaking to us is through His Son, Jesus Christ. However, this does not mean that our Creator cannot reach us in other ways. His ways of reaching us are limitless because He is infinite.
I believe the biggest challenge then is having faith. Romans 10:17 states, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." This means that hearing God's Word is how we develop faith, faith to hear Him clearly and confidently recognize His voice. Without this, our thoughts can be clouded by other voices. On average, people hear between 20,000 to 30,000 words per day. This shows that most of our day is spent communicating, some more than others. Because of this constant influx of noise, it can be easy to misunderstand what God is asking of us or to confuse His voice with other influences. That's why we must learn to filter out the noise. We need to intentionally allow God's voice to be the loudest and clearest in our hearts and our lives, because His voice is the one that can truly lead us in the right direction.
The more we listen to the voices of the world, the quieter God's voice becomes within us. When God's voice is silent, a sense of emptiness can grow in our hearts. This week, make an intentional effort to spend more time allowing God's voice to be heard in your life, reducing the influence of the other voices around you. If you want to be sure that God is speaking and that you understand it clearly, ensure His voice is the loudest in your life, guiding, directing, and leading you.
Helpful Practices to Hear and Discern God's Voice:
- Spend time in His Word.
- Listen attentively to His Word.
- Listen to music that points to His Word
- Ask God what He is saying to you.
- Listen to Him and trust what He reveals.
Prayer
God, thank you that you are speaking over me and have always desired to communicate with me. Before the earth and heavens were formed, God you spoke, and it came to be. I pray this week you would help me to hear you and to trust that what you are saying is the only firm foundation I can stand on. Teach me to lower the other voices in the world so they do not drown out your holy and infinite voice in the ways you are speaking to me. I want to hear you from you, God, so speak to me clearly, and I will confidently listen to what you are saying. In Jesus' name, Amen!