Hearing God's Voice – Part II

IS GOD STILL GUIDING HIS PEOPLE TODAY?

“Why is it that when we speak to God we are said to be praying

but when God speaks to us we are said to be schizophrenic?”

Lily Tomlin, comedian

A couple of years ago my family was vacationing in Cancun, Mexico, and we took one full day to visit Escaret, a natural paradise, where we had the benefit of a very knowledgeable guide: He knew every inch of the forest, he knew where we should we go, he knew the answer to all of our questions, and was amazingly patient with us. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get a personal guide for other parts of your life besides exploring? Like if you’re dating, wouldn’t it be great if you could get a guide to walk you through the dating process? “No, not this one! Date that one!” Or if you must choose your career path, or the college, or your friends?  We make key decisions all the time. Bad ones are so damaging. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a reliable expert who could be our guide through all the twists and turns?

God Desires to Guide Us

The Bible says that our God desires to guide us. The Scriptures describe God as a Guide. He came to Abraham, “The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you’.” (Genesis 12:1) – God guided Abraham.  Later, God guided Moses and the People of Israel: “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night”(Ex.13:21). In Proverbs 3:5-6 we are promised, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”

The most famous psalm talks about this. Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.” He knows just what I need. Our God is a Guide: He doesn’t leave His children, nor does He forsake them.  James 1:5 puts it like this: “Whoever among you lacks wisdom …. ”  Anybody  ever make a bad decision? You ever needed any wisdom? Anybody need any right now? “Whoever among you lacks wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.” Our God is a guiding God. But of all the facets of the greatness of God, the guidance of God can be the most confusing to people. How do we actually experience it?

Let’s look at a story in the Old Testament about a little boy named Samuel, a story that sheds light on our subject. The Lord called the young Samuel and he answered, “Here I am.” Twice Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up, and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’”(1 Samuel 3). This is the beginning of his relationship with God. God was speaking to Samuel in this story. Samuel knew he was being addressed. He did not know it was God. He actually had to learn how to recognize God was speaking to him. In other words, it’s possible for God to speak to someone and for that person to know something is going on, but they don’t know it’s God. All believers must undergo a process a learning to discern the voice of God.

What Is Communication?

Let’s think for a minute: What does it mean to communicate with someone? It’s quite a miraculous thing we’re able to do! We take it for granted. People can communicate. It’s essential to community, to communing. Communication is simply guiding somebody else’s thoughts. In his excellent treatment of this subject,  Hearing God, Dallas Willard explains: When someone is communicating with you, all they’re doing is causing you to think certain thoughts you would not otherwise be thinking. Those thoughts are going on in your head. They’re your thoughts, but somebody else is prompting them. That’s communication. Because we’re finite creatures, we have to use finite means to guide each other’s thoughts. So we make sounds. I’m doing that right now, and because you’re sitting here for this talk, you are having thoughts you would not otherwise be having, right? Thoughts like, “When will this be over?” We make sounds, or we write symbols down on a piece of paper. When people look at those symbols, they prompt thoughts. That is communication.

Because we are finite creatures, we have to use finite means to guide each other’s thoughts. But God is infinite, and among other things, this means God can guide your thoughts directly. He doesn’t have to use sounds. He doesn’t have to use symbols. He can; but He doesn’t have to. He has direct access to your mind. He can simply guide a thought without using any other means at all. But now part of what this means is it’s possible for God to guide a thought in my mind, but I may not know it is God doing that. Something like this is what happened to little Samuel. He didn’t know. Eli helped him with this. This is what some has called the “ministry of Eli” – helping someone to discern when God may be speaking or guiding in their life. Prayer is not just me talking with God. If God wants to, God can also talk back. To commune, to be in community, involves communication. Jesus says about his people: “When he [the Good Shepherd] has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” To have a personal relationship with God means I must be open to the possibility that the Spirit of God is prompting me, guiding me.

Often the Spirit of God will prompt us with ideas. A thought will come to write somebody a note or encourage somebody who feels alone or serve somebody who is in need or confront somebody who is going down a wrong path. Or, out of a blue sky you might get a prompting to call someone, and you did, only to find out that s/he felt miserable and was contemplating some evil thoughts, even suicide, but now s/he was refreshed by your [divine] intervention as you both went out for a coffee and s/he benefitted from your ministry. When those thoughts come, the main thing is not to say, “Hey, God is speaking to me.” What is important is that you actually do what the prompting is. It may be that you have been obeying those kinds of thoughts and serving God your whole life long, while never identifying that that is God’s voice. The main issue is not that you say it’s God’s voice. The main issue is that you actually respond with obedience.

Prerequisites to Hearing God’s Voice

1. Salvation. In our attempt to understand how God speaks to us and guide us we MUST understand that we are enabled to hearing God’s voice only by partaking into the life of God, a life of loving relationship with the King and the other members of His Kingdom. Jesus left no exception from this condition when He declared, “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” (John 8:47) In order for us to belong to God we must first be born again, and enabled to walk in the light and the truth of the new life. Answering to Pilate, Jesus said, “I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” (John 18:37)

2. Receptivity. Only our communion with God provides the appropriate context for communication between us and Him! It is not enough to be sharing in the life of God; the second fundamental requisite is to be “in tune” with God! The fact that we are not hearing, doesn’t mean that God is not speaking to us! Think of all the Radio or TV waves that are passing through our bodies and brains right, messages that a correctly tuned receiver can transform the waves in images and sounds. God speaks to us all the time, but we are not attuned to the voice of God!

3. Are We Ready Vessels? We all need to do some honest soul-searching: What kind of vessel is my life, my heart, my mind? Paul tells his disciple Timothy, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” (2 Tim. 2:21).

4. Are We Ready to Be in Business with God? We pray, “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed by thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done!” Are we devoted to the glory of God and for the advancement of His Kingdom? If our lives are not devoted to the will of God, He might still speak to us, even use us if we are strategically placed. Let’s face it clearly: What are we living for? If we are not living for God and His purposes, His voice will always be an unwelcome intrusion into our plans.

RECEPTION OF GOD’S VOICE

John 10:2-5, 27 “The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice…My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

We concluded that a first pre-requisite for human beings to hearing God’s voice was to be transferred from the realm of spiritual deadness to the Kingdom and Family of God through salvation. Human beings were once alive to God, and Adam and Eve were capable to be responsive and interactive with the Creator: they lived in a conversational relationship with God, a communion that was daily renewed. Their disobedience cut them off from the realm of Spirit as they became spiritually dead (Gen 2:17).  They continued to live biologically, but they became non-responsive to an interactive relationship with God. It would be necessary for them to be conferred a new level of life through “being born from above” (John 3:3) in order to be able to respond toward Him and act within the realm of the Spirit. One must become a “sheep” in order to be enabled to hear the voice of the Shepherd.

In the progress of God’s redemptive work in within us, communication advances into communion, and communion into union. In this spiritual progression, when believers attain the stage of union with Christ, they can say with Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20) and “For me, to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). When communication between two people rises to the level of communion, there is a distinctness but profound sharing of thoughts, feelings, and objectives that make up our lives. When communion advances in union, the sense of “mine” and “yours” often times is absent! Think of the union between a husband and wife, which is the spiritual reflection of the Christ and His Bride! A true union of the two has no separate bank accounts, etc!

It is this union that elevates beyond communion that Paul speaks of when he says the redeemed “have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16), and when he exhorts all of us to “have the mind of Christ” (Phil 2:5). In His prayer as High Priestly Jesus intercessed with the Father, “I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one: I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me” (John 17:22-23).

I. GOD SPEAKS THROUGH THE BIBLE.

A. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The Bible is not only a source of God speaking generally to all people;  it is the guideline by which we believe all other possible messages from God must be judged.

Illustration: The seemingly “spiritual” young man who claimed having a deeply intimate relationship with God, with  a daily ‘closet-prayer’ who was “told” by God how much He loves Him despite his homosexuality…

B. The Bible is a major source of hearing God speak today.  I can’t number the times when I’ve been looking for an answer and God’s Holy Spirit has answered me concretely through pointing me to a particular passage of scripture that previously meant little to me. Or,  the times when I have just been reading scripture, not really looking for any particular answer, that the Holy Spirit made a word or phrase jump off the page. And all of the sudden I had new marching orders, a “fresh vision” even if just direction for the day.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

II. GOD SPEAKS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT

A. Jesus was God in the flesh and for 3 1/2 years He encouraged, taught and corrected His disciples. Prior to His leaving this earth, He promised that we would not be left with no one to speak to. He promised that the Holy Spirit would come and be to disciples just as Jesus had been, and encourager, a teacher, and a corrector.

How does God speak through the Holy Spirit? The best Biblical illustration comes from the Old Testament story about Elijah. Elijah was in a bad spiritual shape, was worn out physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He really needed to talk to God, rather, he needed God to speak to him. 1 Kings 19:11-13, “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.  Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah’?” The NIV calls it “a gentle whisper,” KJV: “a still small voice.” This seems to be the Holy Spirit’s preferred way of speaking to believers.

However, there is a problem with the still small voice:  ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – It is characterized by the inability to sustain focused attention. This checklist rates the following behaviors which are present in most people with ADHD: 1) Distractibility. 2) Inattention.  3) Free flight of ideas (free associations to any other idea). 4) Impulsivity – Moodiness. 5) Insatiability.  6) Bursts of hot temper. 7) Hyperactivity.

III. GOD SPEAKS THROUGH PROPHECIES, DREAMS, AND VISIONS

A. Joel 2:28-29,  “Later, I will give my Spirit to everyone. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will even give my Spirit to my servants, both men and women.”

The spiritual given insights must be squared with the Scripture. A great deal of care must be taken in the understanding of our dreams and visions.

IV. GOD SPEAKS THROUGH EXPERIENCES

Illustration: A man was caught in a flood and ended up floating on the roof of his destroyed home. He prayed desperately for God’s help. In time a rescue team came by in a boat. “We’ve come to help you,” they shouted. “Get in our boat and you’ll be safe.” “No, God’s going to save me.” It grew dark and scary and the man prayed harder. The beat of a helicopter’s blades could be heard coming from the distance growing louder and louder, until they were thumping overhead. A bright light framed the house wreckage and the man. The loudspeaker boomed, “Take the rope, you’ll be safe.” “No, thanks,” the man shouted as he waved the helicopter away, “God’s going to save me.” Shortly thereafter, the roof disintegrated and the man drowned. He was grateful to arrive in heaven, but irritated that God hadn’t answered his prayers. When he stood before Jesus, he complained. “Why didn’t you save me as you promised that you would” “What do you mean” the Lord replied, “I sent a boat and a helicopter!”

Many times God is shouting to us in our experiences, but we are so intent on just one option, that we fail to hear Him. We can be so fixed in our point of view that we cannot see what He is doing, or wanted to do, in and through us.

1. How much pain might we spare ourselves IF we were willing to consider that constant source of irritation might be a messenger of God sent to grab our attention? Paul, the apostle, helps us to see how God works through the experiences of our lives to accomplish HIS purposes. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

2. Are you struggling financially? Have you asked God IF He is trying to talk to you about your values, or your work habits, or your present occupation?

3. Are you prospering, enjoying a time of abundance? Have you considered that God is pouring out His blessings on you OR have you just congratulated yourself on your cleverness?

4. Understanding the right messages that God may sending to us through our day to day experiences requires discernment and prayer. Some of us are too quick to judge another’s circumstances. We think we know exactly what God is doing and we judge.

V. GOD SPEAKS THROUGH YOUR PASTOR : Spiritual shepherds are praying the same prayer: “God, give me a word for your people.” Many times it is a message that God has been teaching me. Sadly, though, too many people think that these messages are for the next guy, the real sinner.

By Romeo Pelle