can i Really hear the voice of god?
Have you ever felt F.O.M.O before?
The fear of missing out on something. Despite the busyness of life, people still found themselves saying yes to other activities, because they didn’t want to miss out on something exciting.
It’s easy to want to be where the action is. It’s easy to think, if I say no to this invite, I may miss out on a special opportunity. If I don’t stay until the early hours of the morning, I’ll miss the time spent with friends. If I don’t watch that football game, I could miss their winning season. And so on.
It’s easy to fill our time with too much information and too many commitments.
If we’re not at an event, there’s a good chance we are scrolling social media to stay updated on everyone’s life. Or perhaps you’re checking the news to find out what is going on in your community or the world. There really is so much at our fingertips to do, see, and hear.
And on top of this, we try to spend time in the Word, listening to God’s voice and seeking His direction for our lives. I don’t know about you, but I get frustrated when I don’t sense God clearly speaking.
HOW DO WE HEAR GOD?
We can pray, read the Bible, and talk with trusted mentors, but there can still be a sense of chaos and confusion.
What if we’re missing the point?
What if the reason we sometimes feel like we can’t discern the voice of God is because we’re too busy with other tasks?
What if we’re viewing time spent with God as a checklist and a “I read this passage now I’m good to go” mentality?
I think there’s a different viewpoint we can take when spending time with God that will make our time more encouraging, fruitful, and beneficial to hearing God speak.
There are two components.
First, we need to start viewing our time with God as fostering a relationship.
Then, we need to consciously remove all distractions.
The beautiful part is the Bible affirms God’s desire for us to hear Him and know Him!
Just like with a friend, family member, or significant other, it requires time spent with that person to get to know them. To go beyond surface level and intimately know their character. If we do this with other people, why would we not want to get to know God Almighty?!
What makes us think knowing God can be anything less than an intentional relationship?
Most people (I hope), aren’t checking their work email, scrolling through social media, or cleaning when they’re with someone else.
No; rather, they put aside all other activities and demands of life to be with that person and enjoy their company.
So it should be with the Lord.
In order to get to know Him, you’ve got to set aside everything else. Don’t halfheartedly read the Bible while intermittently responding to text messages or rushing around tidying up before running off to work.
Sit, take a walk, be alone in the presence of your Father and friend.
Praise Him, pray to Him, read His Word, enjoy the beauty of His creation.
He’s closer than you think, and He promises that all who seek Him will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13; Jeremiah 33:3).
HOW DOES GOD SPEAK?
In 1 Kings 19:9 – 13, we see how Elijah was wandering in the desert for forty days. He was alone, exhausted, discouraged, and frightened. Yet, God met him there.
And guess what? The Lord spoke to him in a beautiful, crazy way!
The Lord sent a giant wind, but God wasn’t in the wind.
Then, there was a powerful earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake.
Next, there was a fire, but the Lord wasn’t in the fire.
Then…
There was a gentle whisper, and the Lord was in it!
God met Elijah through a gentle whisper. An intimate, close, and personal encounter.
God wants a relationship with us. He speaks in many different ways, but they are intimate, personal, and never contradictory to His Word.
And sometimes that means we need to get away, and get close to hear what God is speaking to us. Pay attention and you’ll be amazed at how the Lord speaks tenderly and truthfully to you!
He is always speaking; are you listening?
~Laura