If you are human, you have probably had one of those moments where you feel compelled to do something that seems either irrational or unexplainable, but it doesn’t feel wrong in any way. It’s like a voice inside you is guiding you towards a some specific course of action,…maybe feeling guided to give a sandwich to a homeless person; or to say “Hi” to someone who looked particularly down. Maybe it is something that is gnawing inside you to switch jobs, or break off an engagement, or to pick up the phone and call a friend just to see how they are doing. I’m talking about those actions that maybe at the moment didn’t have any explanation at the time.
Now, I’m not trying to go on some rant about how “we should always listen to God’s voice.” I think one of the greatest challenges in a Christian’s life is being able to recognize, and obey God’s voice when He speak. And, I know I risk being a cynic when I say that I am afraid that most Christians couldn’t distinguish God’s voice from the rumble of their own stomach, let alone do what He says! Some think that God only spoke to people in the Bible and through the Bible, but He doesn’t speak directly to us anymore. How depressing! I mean, if you are a living, breathing Christian with the Spirit of the living God inside you, then how can you not expect, and even anticipate, that God would speak to you on a personal level? Surely we don’t think that God would send His spirit to dwell within our hearts so He could live a quiet, unbothered life in Heaven, filled with games of solitaire and Farmville? I am pretty sure God’s great desire is to have a personal relationship with us…and, that includes two way conversation.
After way too many years of self-inventory, and a few brick walls that I have plowed face first into,…I realize that there are many times when I have heard God’s voice, or maybe felt His direction… but I flat-out ignored it,…denied that I heard or felt it,… or heard the guidance but then just flat-out disobeyed. As you can imagine, those situations always worked out really great for me! I know that God could get our attention and maybe even yell at us in ways that would make us wet our pants,…but He doesn’t. Although He has done it in the past.
I love the story of how God got Moses attention in Exodus 3:1-4 (NIV)…. “Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”
Don’t you just love that?! God presented Moses something fairly eye-catching, but He also gave Moses the choice to either ignore it and continue tending his flock… or, to walk over and see what the burning bush was all about. I’m kinda’ thinking that most people would go over and see what a random, flaming shrubbery is doing in the middle of a mountain. But, as a diligent and responsible shepherd, it’s not such an easy choice when it means leaving behind a flock of sheep that are likely to run around and get lost. Think about it…doesn’t this sound like a story in our every day lives,… we don’t stop for a moment, and we don’t interact with God because we are too busy doing something else. Why do we make God wait all the time for us,… but expect instant answers and help when we ask for it?
Mental break…I’m listening to Chris Tomlin singing “I Am A Friend of God" right now as I write this….and, I have to think, what “awesome friends” we are to God sometimes!
Anyway, the easiest way that I can describe what it is like to hear God’s voice is that for me sometimes it feels like a thought or a voice, smaller than our own because our own often is so loud it drowns God’s voice out. And, that voice speaks gently to our hearts and minds. So, when you hear something in the middle of all the chaos of your daily thoughts that is smaller than our own voice listen carefully. Imagine you are at a race track with your friend when a lot of cars are zooming by, and you hear someone faintly calling your name beside you. They may be yelling as loud as they can, but their voice can barely be heard above the noise of the cars…but you can still hear them.
1 Kings 19:11-13 tells of the LORD speaking to Elijah, “The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”
How about the next time you feel a quiet voice, or a subtle inspiration, or any other feeling, thought, or inclination that speaks to you to do something positive…even without rational explanation,…listen, obey, and see what happens!
Lord, make us aware of Your voice. Make us aware of Your passing by in a whisper, so quiet that we sometime can miss You. Speak to us Lord,…and give us ears to hear. Amen.
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