Hearing the voice of God

I love to open the Bible and explore answers to questions I receive from my Sunday school class and my blog. One of the questions that seems to find its way to me over and over...

"How does God speak to us"?

It's a very difficult question to answer because as Christians, we have a personal relationship with Christ and therefore we can have vastly different experiences. The one thing I can say conclusively is there is no reference in the Bible that we should be listening for an audible, personal revelation from the voice of God.

It is true the Bible is full of examples where God did speak to those of His choosing. Many times we see this referenced as His Spirit but occasionally God did provide very specific and very audible instruction to individuals concerning His will. In the era of instant information and a society based on giving us what we want, and giving it to us NOW; it isn’t surprising that many believers today want that same kind of experience.

I can’t say that the idea isn’t an attractive one. Hit your knees, close your eyes, open your ears and wait for God to speak and direct life. Unfortunately God hasn’t chosen that way to reveal Himself to me. And I believe the Bible doesn’t tell us to expect to hear from God directly for a really good reason.

How would you discern the voice really was from God?

Making that determination would require that we then interpret whatever revelation we received based on our own understanding and feelings. And the Bible does have some very specific things to say about that…

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding

Proverbs 3:5

Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

Proverbs 28:26

In my fallen state I can justify just about anything I want to. I can even create a scenario in my mind that would allow for God to be OK with something I want to do if I really want to do it bad enough. As long as I trust in myself or lean on my own understanding I’m more than likely going to do whatever I want to do. What if the Word from God I was waiting on was an answer to sleeping with a woman I wasn’t married to? And what if I “heard” the following...

“Go ahead and sleep with her, you’re in love and that’s as good as being married”.

Or maybe I’m praying for direction about taking a mission trip with my Church and my bad knee starts to hurt. Well then wouldn’t that mean God didn’t want me to go?

As soon as I give myself the authority to interpret whatever voice I claim to hear, my sinful nature has the opportunity to take over. Our sinful nature will go against what the Bible says about premarital sex almost every time. And mission work is hard and sometimes thankless so my selfish nature is going to find any reason not to do it.

If God did choose to speak to us, how would someone separate normal day to day aches and pains or the euphoria of sexual attraction from the voice of God? Is the Spirit moving in me or did I just eat some bad pizza?

God didn’t leave us a mechanism or means for discernment on that level. And if we don’t have clearly defined ways to define God’s “voice” over our own desires, how do we know with certainty what His will is for us?

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

The written Word of God, the Bible, is the only absolute source of truth and guidance to knowing His will. When the Bible becomes the final authority in your life there is no room for argument and personal feelings can’t cause distortion. According to Peter who not only heard the voice of the Lord but knew Him personally:

And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

2 Peter 1:19

Peter, the rock Christ determined to build His church on, identified scripture as the best way to know want God wants us to know. Does God speak to us today? Without question the answer is yes and he does so in the pages of scripture. So what drives the constant desire to “hear” God’s voice in so many Believers today? I believe John MacArthur sums it up better than I could…

"Why do some believers still look beyond the Bible for a special, personal word from the Lord? At the heart of their desire for fresh revelation is a fundamental lack of faith in the absolute sufficiency of God’s Word. They simply don’t believe the Bible gives enough answers for the problems and struggles in their lives; or they don’t grasp the degree to which Scripture is living and active — that it is God speaking to us clearly and distinctly.

I trust that you’re not entertaining that kind of thinking. If you reject the sufficiency of Scripture — or even if you simply look to supplement it with fresh, personal revelation from God — you cut yourself off from the only reliable source of God’s truth. The Bible isn’t a book of static, lifeless words. It’s alive and active in the hearts of God’s people. It’s the vessel through which the Lord performs His transforming work, sanctifying and shaping us into His likeness. It’s not simply the record of what God has said in the past — it’s what He’s saying to you and me every day. His Word remains perpetually applicable and relevant.

Because God does speak to His people through His Word, there’s no more serious undertaking than studying the Bible. Understanding biblical doctrine isn’t an academic pursuit for believers — it’s knowing His mind. By studying Scripture, we’re able to grasp His instructions for all matters of life and godliness".
John MacArthur Newsletter May 2010

Fortunately we will be able to not only hear His voice one day but stand, face to face with Christ. But until then we have to walk by faith, not by sight and that faith can only be built on the firm foundation scripture offers. There is no substitute for making the study of the Bible a priority in your life.  If you are still waiting to hear the voice of our Lord in your life… Find your Bible, open it up and start reading. I promise you He has something to say.

Be blessed today by opening God’s Word!

Jeff