It seems that we are living in a time where we are being faced with almost constant distractions while at the same time needing to clearly hear from God. We have apps that give us alerts on our SmartPhones, Text Messaging which has become a primary form of communication, we get news feeds through our email, TV-Cable-Satellite-Radio signals are available 24/7, and just when you think there couldn’t possibly be any more noise – the phone rings with a telemarketer trying to sell you something. Let’s face facts, we live in a NOISY WORLD! So with all of this activity, how can we be sure that we are hearing God’s voice?
There are numerous Bible verses that speak of hearing God’s Voice. Here are a few:
- Jeremiah 33:3, “Ask Me and I will tell you some remarkable secrets about what is going to happen here” (NLT96).
- Revelation 3:20, “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear Me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends” (NLT96).
- John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (KJV87).
You may be asking, “but with everything else going on, how can I be sure that what I am hearing is God’s voice”? Here are a few practical suggestions from the Bible:
- BE STILL (Psalms 46:10): Ask the LORD to remove all of the “white noise” around you. I once taught an object lesson to my Sunday School class where I had several electrical devices on at the same time in the same classroom. In the background, I also had a CD playing the song “Jesus Loves Me”, but the students couldn’t hear the song “Jesus Loves Me” until each of the other devices were shut down. Once all of the “white noise” was eliminated, the message of Jesus’ love was clearly heard. If you actively allow the Lord to remove the “white noise” around you, you will be amazed at what you begin to hear.
- RESIST THE ENEMY (James 4:7): I can almost guarantee that once you make your mind up to get quiet and hear the voice of the Lord, the enemy is going to come in to try to distract you. It may be subtle distractions like, “Am I supposed to pick up the dry cleaning today?”, “Did I post the picture of my breakfast on Facebook?”, “I forgot to Tweet about _______”. Either way, it will be an attempt by the enemy to get the “white noise” distractions going again. The good news is that the Bible tells us that if we resist the devil, he will flee! SO RESIST!
- CONFESS YOUR SINS (Psalms 66:18): The Psalmist tells us that if we regard iniquity in our heart, the Lord will not listen. So let’s not try to hide our sin. Remember, HE knows our hearts, HE knows our thoughts, HE knows our Sin and HE loves us anyway! So confess your sins, repent and turn completely to Him to hear HIS voice.
- LISTEN FOR GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU (Jeremiah 29:11): We serve a creative GOD who is big enough to hold the whole universe in the palm of His hand, yet loving enough to have a specific plan for each of us individually. Although He speaks to all of us, it is critical to pay attention to what He is speaking to each of us as individuals. Too many times there is a temptation to rely on what God is speaking to someone else rather than taking the time listening to God for ourselves and have a personal relationship with Him. For example, God may be telling your brother to go on a mission trip to Africa, but He may want you to witness directly to your best friend.
- SPEND TIME WITH HIM (John 10:27): If a stranger calls you, they have to announce themselves, but as soon as you hear a familiar voice on your phone, don’t you know who it is that is speaking to you? The more time we spend with Jesus, the more familiar we become with hearing HIS voice. Are you spending time with the Lord? Do you know the sound of HIS voice? John 20:16 tells us that after Jesus rose from the dead HE appeared to Mary, but through her tears she didn’t recognize that it was HIM, until HE said her name “Mary” and she immediately responded in Aramaic with “Rabboni”. She knew HIS voice because she had spent time with HIM.
You may still be thinking “all of that is nice, but how can I really be sure that what I am hearing is really from GOD?” Here are two principles that will help you to confirm that what you are hearing is from God:
- Does what I am hearing line up with Scripture? It is critical to realize that God will NEVER Contradict Himself or HIS Word. Matthew 24:35 tells us that “…Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away…”. He will NEVER lead you in a direction that is contrary to HIS Word. This of course implies that you must know HIS Word and reminds us how important it is to regularly and diligently read and study HIS Word.
- Do I have peace? Isaiah 26:3 reminds us “…You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You…”(NKJV). This tells us that God will often guide us by peace. If you are hearing something that makes you uneasy or restless, then you may want to go back to the first principle and be sure what you are hearing lines up with Scripture.
1 Corinthians 13:9 tells us “…For we know in part and we prophesy in part…” (NASB). This tells us that we don’t always know all of the details. God doesn’t always show us the entire picture. If HE did, we may be tempted to run ahead or run away instead of being fully obedient. Remember God’s view is “higher” than ours. So don’t think that just because you don’t know the whole thing, you are not hearing from God.
Are you God’s sheep? If you are then I would ask, what is GOD speaking to you today?
If you are not HIS sheep, then I would encourage you to take the time today to surrender your life to JESUS CHRIST and become HIS sheep. Listen to HIS voice and you will hear the truth that JESUS LOVES YOU!
–Stephen
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