Today’s Daily Bread ~ Hearing God Speak

1 Samuel 3:9-10 – So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Yes, LORD, your servant is listening.’”  So Samuel went back to bed.  And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel!  Samuel!”  And Samuel replied, “Yes, your servant is listening.”

I called my father’s parents Nonna and Poppa.  For most of my life, they lived in Terre Haute, Indiana, but when I was very young they lived in Pennsylvania.  I hardly remember anything about that house except that it was big, and in my child’s mind, dark and scary.  I can recall one particular visit when I had to sleep on a couch downstairs, while the rest of the family slept upstairs.  On the mantle above the fireplace sat a clock.

I never noticed that clock all day long, but once the house had shut down for the night, I was made aware of its presence by the swing of pendulum; tick, tock. Tick, tock.  Tick, tock.

It wasn’t terribly loud.  Certainly not obtrusive.  If you didn’t know to listen for it you probably wouldn’t notice.  But once I started to pay attention, it was all I could hear.  Tick, tock.  Tick, tock.  Tick, tock, all night long.

A few days ago I had a spare hour, so I ran up to the gym to grab a workout.  I love to run, but when I’m at the gym I usually hop on the stair climber so I can read a book.  I was trying to concentrate, but my mind kept following the conversation of two girls nearby.  The room was loud and crowded, filled with the sounds of clanking weights and friendly chatter.  But that had faded to a faint buzz.  My brain had latched onto their voices, and try as I might, it was all I could hear.

The other day I was talking to someone dear to me about a change on my horizon.  I told her that the Lord had given me direct instructions three separate times, and even though the move I’m about to make is a big one, I have complete peace.

Puzzled, she looked at me.  “How do you do that?”  She asked, “Do you actually hear God’s voice?”  A very reasonable question that deserves an honest answer.  “It’s hard to explain,” I said.  “I do, but sometimes it’s not words.”  Her frown deepened.  “I know it sounds crazy,” I continued, “but there’s no mistaking it when it happens.”

“So what does it sound like?” she pressed. 

“Well,” I paused, wanting to make sure I was explaining it to the best of my abilities.  “Sometimes a thought will flash into my head, and I just know it’s Him because there is a sense of peace and certainty surrounding it.”

“And sometimes,” I continued, “He’ll just put something on my heart, and it’s like He’s tugging on me.  I’ll just know that He wants me to call someone or do something or go somewhere.”

“Hmmm,” she said, “He sure doesn’t talk to me like that.”  And before the filter between my brain and mouth had a chance to activate, I blurted out, “Have you ever tried listening to Him?” 

Had the filter deployed like it should, I would’ve phrased that in a much gentler fashion.  I would’ve explained to her that God speaks to all of, quite often, but if we’re not paying attention we’ll likely miss it.

“So how do you do that?  Do you just say, ‘Ok, God.  I’m here.  I’m listening!?”  “Yes!”  I exclaimed, “That’s exactly what you do!”

I think many of us are like her.  We look at people who claim to hear God and we wonder quietly to ourselves if they shouldn’t maybe have a padded cell and a strait jacket.  It is certainly a bold thing to proclaim, and should always be measured against Scripture.  But I’ve also found that it’s not only possible to hear God’s voice, it’s quite difficult to drown Him out once recognize Him.

Over the course of my life I’ve heard God’s voice numerous times; with big decisions, during my darkest moments, and some of my best, too.  One example was the day I made the decision to stop drinking forever.  I had been struggling with it for years, and as I drove home from work I heard Him say, “Child, I love you.  And I have things I want to do through you and with you.  But I can’t use you like this.  You’re destroying your witness and giving the enemy a tremendous stronghold in your life.”

Decision made.  I haven’t had a drink since.                           

My radio upstairs is an older model with a tuning knob, rather than a digital tuner.  Every now and then it will get bumped, and I’ll have to fiddle with it to get it in just the right spot.  When it’s slightly off I can still hear the station, but it’s muffled with static.  If we want to hear God’s voice we must be on the right frequency.  That frequency is Deuteronomy 11:22 – “Be careful to obey all the commands I give you; show love to the LORD your God by walking in His ways and clinging to Him.”  I felt a very definite shift in my relationship with my Father when I took that step of obedience.  When we clear away the muck of our sin, we are in much better position to hear His voice.

The next step is prayer.  Jeremiah 29:12 – “In those days when you pray, I will listen.”  God wants a relationship with us, and He is always listening to the prayers of the faithful.

We must be seeking Him.  If we give Him only a few minutes of our thoughts a day, we are certainly making it difficult for Him to get our attention.  But when we seek His face, He tells us He will reveal Himself to us:  Jeremiah 29:13 – “If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me.”

 I believe that we, as a people, don’t understand God, and therefore we tend to picture Him at a distance, watching with a stern eye.  Most of us won’t likely see Jesus face to face until we leave this life; therefore we have a hard time talking to Him like He’s sitting right beside us.  Try as we might to have an intimate relationship with Him, He feels distant to us.  The Bible warns us against this.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).  Don’t trust your emotions.  Trust the Lord.  He tells us over and over in Scripture that He is with us, wooing us, and waiting for us to cry out to Him: The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait for Him and seek Him (Lamentations 3:25). 

Sometimes He speaks through a whisper, a single word or a nudge.  Sometimes it’s simply lack of peace over a situation.  When you feel that unrest, ask Him!  Ask Him to explain Himself, tell Him that you are waiting on His wisdom and guidance.  I’ve been walking with the Lord for 36 years now, and He has never let me down.  I do not always received a “yes,” when I pray.  In fact, I’ve received far more “waits” and “no’s” than anything else.  But His plan is perfect.  His ways are good.  And His love is unfailing.

Dear Heavenly Father, You are absolutely unfathomable.  You are magnificent.  Knowing that You look on us with love and choose to speak to us is simply amazing.  We love You.  We ask that You would convict us and work on our hearts so that we live with one ear toward heaven at all times.  Father, we also ask, as we try to seek Your will, that You would make Yourself heard.  Don’t make us guess, be crystal clear.  We know, God, that as we seek Your face and walk in obedience You will make Yourself known to us, and You will show us Your glory.  We praise You, we love You and we thank You in advance for this as we pray in Your precious Son’s most Holy Name…Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.