I was watching a video yesterday at the request of someone and the man the video was about was asked by a reporter (as they were riding in his horse-drawn carriage. And no, he is not Amish), how he hears the voice of God. That was an interesting question, one I’m sure the non-believing reporter was sincerely curious about.
I’ve given some thought to that same question. Here are some common, and I’m sure, not all the answers:
“I follow my heart.” That is a very familiar one today. I could give you the name of a very well known movie and entertainment company whom I think has sort of adopted that moniker as their modus operandi. I’m going to be very open and honest here: I am really, really tired of hearing this same old drivel time after time. But it also is not new. I can remember a song back in the ’70s with the lyrics: “It can’t be so wrong; it feels so right.”
“I hear His voice.” Now…hearing His voice has a connotation that I’m uneasy with. If speaking about hearing His voice audibly, I have a real problem with since I don’t believe God speaks through a burning bush type of approach today. Many are waiting to “hear from on high” and for God to speak out loud before they make a decision or move ahead. Why do I have problems with this?
“He speaks through His Word.” God’s Word, the Bible, is His voice today. The psalmist says, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and light for my path.”
Granted there are other answers to this question people give. We have to be careful what voice we listen to. Our culture will tell us that what used to be wrong is no longer wrong but acceptable. The Bible is out-dated and old school. Or possibly even worse, people will make outright attempts to reinterpret Scripture to make it mean what they want it to mean. They deny what is clearly defined as wrong and will either hedge on it or completely misfire because it doesn’t fit their narrative. That is why “follow your heart” is so troublesome. The Bible says, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NASB2020) Long story short: our heart cannot be counted on to make or decide the right thing to do. Emotions enter the picture and convince us of what is not the truth or changes our view.
Don’t follow your heart; follow the Bible. Don’t allow our culture to convince you that the Bible is old and dusty and out of tune with today’s world. The Bible is the truth and it still stands. Jesus once said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words will never pass away.” I’ll stake my claim on His words and His Word.
Sound advice, Bill. No matter what God does not contradict His Word.
I 100% absolutely agree with you Pam. Thanks.
The heart is repeatedly shown to betray us when feelings upend common sense. I’ll count on the truth of God’s Word to guide my thoughts and action, Bill.
Blessings!
Very well said Martha. I think we can all cite times where feelings upended common sense. God’s Word will never fail.
I for one have decided never to place God in a box of how He may choose to communicate with me or others. I think we often place God in a box that may limit our exposure to His presence. That said, we should ALWAYS test what we “feel” or “hear” or “told” by what God has already demonstrated is His measuring stick. God will NEVER contradict himself. We should always test the spirit to make sure it falls in line with scripture. It would be wise to seek counsel from trusted sources, but at the end of the day, those sources are also flawed humans.
I do think God speaks to us more than we think and more often than not, we are just too busy to listen.
I think God speaks to us through His Holy Spirit that lives within us and guides us, but I have a tendency to not want to release control.
I also think our “feelings” more often than not will lead us down a path that is likely more concerned about “self preservation” and reliance on self than relying on God.
I wonder if God often looks at my choices and direction and just shakes His head… smiles and says…well looks like you are going to learn the hard way 🙂
To clarify (and I should have done this). There are other ways God speaks to us and I agree that He often does in ways we don’t understand. Circumstances. Other people. I cringe, though, when feelings are made the scapegoat for doing what God says. God’s voice is often misunderstood or misrepresented. “I killed that person because God told me to” type of thing. Like you, I do think feelings can often lead us down the wrong path. And you made me chuckle with your last line. That would be me.
Clarity and understanding God’s ways and direction come from the Bible, and praying and meditating on God’s word. I cannot explain easily sometimes how I know its God and not my emotion, my thoughts or my way,but I have clarity and peace, and the Bible backs up the thought. I have some examples but it would be to hard to put that into a quick note here. Bill sometime I need to share a story with you that really explains God directly me on a path I could not understand it took about four and half years before I had the answer.
I would love to hear the story Gail. As i recall, there are several we need to discuss. 🙂 Maybe we can start on Wednesday before 66.
I often plead with God to speak to me. I get very still and strain to hear His voice. There is so much clamor on our world, and it takes an intentional, concentrated effort to really hear Him. He speaks to my spirit. Never audibly, although I long for that! He also speaks to me through circumstances, as you said. He has also shown me definite answers through fleeces I have earnestly put out before Him. And always, always through His Word. I never pick it up to read without Him speaking to me. There was a time when I was so concerned about whether I was really hearing His voice in my spirit or only hearing my own voice saying what I wanted to hear. I got to thinking how much easier it was for the Old Testament children of God to hear His voice when He was speaking audibly to them. But, I don’t think He always spoke audibly to them either. We have no proof of that. I think sometimes we envision that He was thundering words from the sky, but I believe He was sometimes actually communing with their spirit in His still small voice. Just like He does with ours today. It pays to live close enough to Him to hear His still small voice. God bless you, Pastor Bill!
Thanks Cheryl for the thoughtful reply. If the truth be known, I suspect many of us have wanted to hear that audible voice from God. As you stated, we often crave that. But I sometimes wonder if we would even heed that! I do pray God will make Himself clear through His Word, others, and circumstances. Help me to know His direction for me.