If you audibly heard the voice of God telling you to drop everything this very second, put on your coat, grab your wallet or purse, go to the nearest Christian bookstore and purchase a bible, and then stand on the street to give it to the first person who would take it; I guarantee you that you would do it just as God had instructed. Even if you didn’t have a dime to your name, you would figure out a way to scrape together some money to buy the good book. You’d even ask a stranger for money if you had too; you’d do whatever it takes. Hearing God speak in your ears with a human voice would be a rouser—a soul stirrer. And knowing that “The Creator of the entire universe just spoke to me… little ol’ ordinary me!!!! And I heard Him loud and clear!” would definitely impact your faith.
You would trust implicitly that if God told you to do something, then He must have made provision for you to get it done. Very few people, Christian or not, would fail to heed a directive from God if they heard His voice speaking plainly and audibly in their own language. They would jump right up and immediately commence to do what He’s asked. Oh, but if it were this simple, we would all be in so much better shape. If we could hear God’s voice outwardly or externally, just as we do anyone else with whom we converse, things would be so much easier wouldn’t they? We’d never have to guess about what God wants us to do; we would never need to wonder.
John 4:24 (KJV) tells us, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” This verse very clearly sets the parameters by which God requires worship, and it also sets the tone for our answers and communication from Him. God works IN us because that’s where our souls are; they are anchored deep within—so much so that you can’t even pinpoint exactly where your soul is, but you know it’s there. You can feel it every time you cry or jump for joy. God’s plan is that through salvation our souls will be transformed, not instantaneously, but over time as we hear and study His Word, and then make decisions and choices that honor the gifts He has given us. It’s a day-by-day walk with Him in Christ—following the example of our blessed Savior.
The Father knows that it would have been so much easier to speak to us audibly, but that wasn’t His plan, because this method would not develop the intimacy that He craves with each and every one of us. God speaks to us from within. He does not commune with our flesh, but with our spirits. The more we grow in the Spirit and take on a spiritual nature, the clearer we hear His voice.
Jesus Christ said in John 10:27(KJV), “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” This is a very simple statement, but from it you and I can deduce that the voice of Jesus is distinct from all others. It is so distinct that we, as his sheep, could be in a stadium filled with voices from hundreds of other people, but because of the intimacy we share with Heavenly Father, we pick up the frequencies of His divine voice supernaturally.
If we’re focusing on God in the way that we should, we would be so familiar with dialoguing with Him that recognizing His voice, even in the midst of confusion and chaos, would be easy. It isn’t a question of whether or not God in Christ is speaking, it is a question of whether or not we’re listening for His voice in particular. The very truth we need to hear was perhaps downloaded into our Spirits some time ago, but because we have not quieted our souls and spent quality time seeking God, this information has not made its way to our souls.
This is what the enemy is trying so hard to keep you from getting, because he knows that when you learn to quiet yourself to listen, and you gain confidence in your ability to recognize the voice of God, you’ll be on fire for the Lord in a way that will be unstoppable. This is also why the enemy masterminds all these distractions, so that he can bombard you with other voices, keep you comfortable with chaos and diversions; and prevent you from seeking God and hearing the Word you need to hear. Don’t let it happen!
The flesh does not have a spiritual nature. The flesh is the temple, and the temple cannot function in a position of governance, because its function is to provide housing. Only the Spirit of Christ within deserves the position of governing your life. Galatians 5:16-17(NLT) tells us, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” The more we make decisions based on the selfish desires of the flesh, the less we grow in the spirit. This is why sin is so damaging, because it can block us from hearing in the Spirit.
Keep your spiritual airways clear by being obedient to God and trusting Him fully. Spend time with Him daily. His love, power, and being is beyond anything we can perceive in the flesh. That’s one of the reasons He’s given us the indwelling Holy Spirit. He, the Spirit, will not only help us to pray to Heavenly Father perfectly, but he will help us to hear Him as well. We can’t comprehend in the physical what we can comprehend through the Spirit. So, get completely tuned into God. Turn up the dial on your spiritual hearing and tune out everything else, so that you can clearly hear God’s voice. It’s just that simple! ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
” Whose Voice Are You Listening to?” written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2017. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.