Our world today vastly differs from what it was in biblical times. The world then was simple and much slower. Men could more easily hear God speaking to them. Today, we live in a terribly chaotic and noisy world. We need to hear the voice of God speaking to us to help us navigate the times.
I know this is a kind of muddy area to discuss. It’s not uncommon for people today to claim that God told them something or to say “God gave me a word for you,” when He didn’t. We know that kind of silliness occurs.
But those abuses don’t invalidate the truth. One way God speaks to us is through the person of the Holy Spirit. “But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth,” Jesus says (John 16:13, NASB). Hence, God can guide us is through the person of the Holy Spirit.
In another place, Jesus said this to His disciples:
“But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”
Matthew 10:19-20, NASB
A Quiet Voice
God does not scream over the noise in our world so we can hear Him. If we want to hear His voice, we must turn down the noise in our world.
Each of us has a noise level in our respective world. For some of us, that noise is deafening. We are preoccupied with the busyness of living and pursuing our dreams. Then we have much entertainment, social media, and social activities at our disposal these days.
In 1 Kings, chapter 19, there is an account of Elijah the prophet waiting for the presence of the Lord. First, there was a mighty wind breaking up the rocks, but the Lord was not in the rocks (1 Kings 19:11). After that, an earthquake and then a fire, but the Lord was in neither of these.
Finally, Elijah heard the whisper of a voice. That’s where God was.
Similarly, that’s where we can hear His voice—in quietness. That’s why we must turn down the noise in our world.
I know this to be true firsthand. As a minister of the gospel, I am always seeking to hear from God for what to preach to His people. But time and again, I have found that when my days are loaded with activity, I can’t hear the voice of God speaking to me about what to preach. Too many things on my mind at the same time. It’s in the quietness of the night after my day has quieted that I can hear the quiet voice of God.
Impediments to Hearing God
We can’t change the fact that we live in an increasingly noisy world. It won’t go away with a good night’s sleep. Here are three hindrances to hearing God’s voice.
Too Preoccupied with the Cares of This World. In His parable of the seed and the sower, Jesus talks about those who are like seed that fell among the thorns. He said these are they who are too filled with the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth (Matthew 13:22). God often speaks to us through bringing us in remembrance of His Word. But like a seed among thorns, preoccupation with the things of this world chokes the Word, making it fruitless in us.
Too Busy Serving the Lord. Really? Absolutely. If we are not careful, we can become so busy doing the work of the Lord that we don’t have time for the Lord. When that becomes the case, we are just too busy. The most important aspect of ministry is your relationship with God. Not even Kingdom work is more important than that.
No Time with the Lord. Some believers are not preoccupied with the cares of this world. Nor are they on overload dong the Lord’s work. Rather, talking to God and hearing the voice of God in their life is not high on their list or not on their list at all. They prefer to do anything other than spending time with God. No one like that will have any success in hearing the voice of God.
Why We Need to Hear His Voice.
Being able to hear the voice of God is not optional. All of us will experience times in our life when we need some input from God for our personal life or for the ministry He has called us to. Or, so that we can effectively navigate these dark and turbulent times.
Don’t expect Him to speak in an audible voice or through some miraculous sign. Though He can, these are rare exceptions and not the rule. Don’t expect Him to scream above the noise in your world. But you will hear His voice in the quiet place. If you want to hear Him more often, you must seriously turn down the noise in your world.
Copyright © 2024 by Frank King. All rights reserved.