Recognizing God’s Voice[1]
I.
The Characteristics of His Voice
One
of my fondest memories of childhood is of mom’s distinct voice calling me, “Ashley!
It’s time for supper!”
How
did I know it was my mom’s voice? How do we know when God is speaking to us?
1) My mom’s voice was familiar.
1) My mom’s voice was familiar.
I’d
heard it many times before and could distinguish it from everyone else’s. The
Shepherd’s voice is also a familiar one.
John
10:4-5 (NASB):
“When
he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him
because they know his voice. 5 A stranger they simply will not follow, but will
flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
The sheep follow the shepherd’s voice because
they have heard it before, and they have learned to recognize it. Even a
newborn baby will sometimes turn towards his/her mother when she speaks because
the baby had heard her familiar voice so many times before birth.
2) Second, my mom’s voice was personal.
2) Second, my mom’s voice was personal.
She clearly said my name. Likewise, when God
speaks to us, He wants us to know exactly who He is talking to. So He calls us
by name.
John
10:3 (NASB):
“To
him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own
sheep by name and leads them out.”
Jesus says the shepherd calls His sheep by
name.
3) Third, my mom’s voice was simple and clear.
Why if she had said, “Ashley, I implore thee
to make haste and move toward our homestead so you can get sustenance”? I would
have said, “Do what?” I’m thankful that our God knows our level of
understanding, aren’t you? He willingly puts His words in a language even I can
comprehend.
John
10:9 (NASB):
“ I
am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and
out and find pasture.”
How much more simple can these words be?
4) My mother’s voice was recognizable because it was loving.
4) My mother’s voice was recognizable because it was loving.
I knew that behind her words was a pure love
and commitment to nurture me. Even when her voice was raised in correction or
frustration, her words ultimately served to make me better. Of course, the belt
she uses on me helped too!
John
10:10-11 (NASB):
“The
thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life,
and have it abundantly. 11 “I
am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
Notice
the love and grace in Jesus’ words. The thief (Satan) wants only to steal,
kill, and destroy us. But Jesus’ goal for us is to live fully.
Many
of us walk around feeling guilty and condemned for sins we have already
confessed to God. Despite our attempts to believe God has forgiven us (as He
promises to do-John 1:9), something inside of us keeps recalling those sins and
shortcomings. That “something” is actually “someone.” His name is Satan, “the
accuser of our brethren” (Rev. 12:10, NKJV).
The
Lord, by contrast, will never speak to us to condemn us. He wants to give us
abundant life. Even when He is rebuking us, His purpose is still ultimately to
make us more like His Son (Romans 8:29).
II.
The Content of His Words
To
be sure we are discerning God’s voice, we need to not only consider the
characteristics of God’s voice; we also need to examine the content of His
words.
Charles
Stanley, in his classic book, How to
Listen to God, cites five criteria for confirming the voice of God in our
lives.[2]
1)
God’s voice is always consistent with the Bible.
God
will never tell us to do anything that contradicts His written Word.
2)
God’s voice might conflict with human wisdom.
God’s
ways do not always make sense to us.
3.
God’s voice may challenge our faith.
God
will consistently stretch us to reach higher levels of belief.
4.
God’s voice will clash with our fleshly nature.
Our
old carnal selves will want to do just the opposite.
5.
God’s voice will often require us to be courageous.
Doing
God’s will is not for wimps. Obeying Him will often require bold action.
Let’s
look at Jahaziel’s words in 2 Chronicles 20:14-17 in light of these criteria:
Then
in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord
came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel,
the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; 15 and he said, “Listen, all
Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great
multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against
them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at
the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You need not fight
in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed;
tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with
you.”
It’s clear that the words the people of Judah
received that evening were most certainly God’s specific instructions to them
in their situation. After hearing from the prophet, they were to go back home and
rest in preparation for battle. I’m sure there was much tossing and turning in
bed that night. On the eve of possible annihilation, they needed more than a “check-off
list” assuring them that what they had heard was indeed God’s direction to
them. Intellectual confirmation wasn’t enough. Their hearts still lacked a
necessity: faith.
Philippians
3:7-15 (NASB):
“But
whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the
sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in
view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain
Christ, 9 and
may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the
Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes
from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His
resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
11 in order that I may attain
to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have
already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so
that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid
hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies
behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many
as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different
attitude, God will reveal that also to you…”
Notice
what Paul is “pressing towards” in this passage. He is striving towards an
increasing awareness of God in his life and a greater intimacy in his walk with
Christ. Most people just read through verse 14 and stop. But I want you to
notice verse 15.
Paul
told us that if you and I are “pressing toward the mark” with a maturing heart
determined to please God, He will not allow us to make a mistake or
misunderstand His leading. God loves us so much that He will not let us go
astray if we are sincerely seeking His Heart and voice in the circumstances of
our lives.
My Daily Surrender
Ask
yourself this: What evidence in my life shows that I am pressing “on toward the
goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”?
Write
a prayer to the Lord asking Him for greater passion to press on. Then ask God
to help you trust Him to always tell you when your thinking is wrong or you are
headed in the wrong direction.
My Daily Praise
Which
of God’s awesome attributes are you most grateful for this moment?
No comments:
Post a Comment