Whose voice are you listening to?
Whose voice are you listening to? Learn to distinguish the voice of God among others that are vying for your attention
Earlier this week I had the honour of again meeting someone who passed by my house two month ago. This person was distributing Bibles and biblical booklets in our area. When I met him the first time, he struck me as an incredibly focused person and I added him to my prayer list, hoping to meet him again. God answered my prayer. During our discussion, we both mentioned that sometimes our best efforts to reach out to others with the gospel are met with a cold shoulder. This made me think that in the world there are many voices ringing out for your attention. Among all of them is the still, small voice of God. How often do we miss it!
Samuel was committed to the Lord by his mother at an early age. Even if he served with the priest Eli, Samuel had yet to learn to hear the voice of God. This is how God revealed himself to Samuel:
1And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. 2And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; 3And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; 4That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. 8And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. – 1 Samuel 3:1-10
Samuel had not yet heard the voice of God because it had not yet been revealed to him. When he heard the voice calling him, he assumed it must be Eli. Three times he was wrong and then Eli realised God was calling Samuel. His instruction to Samuel led to him recognise the voice of the Lord, and the next time God called, he responded correctly.
Our world is a noisy one – we are bombarded with messages every day. The media screams at us, looking for our attention; competing advertising pulls you on both sides at the same time; everyone is looking to get something from you, for their gain only. Unless you live in a remote area, chances are that there are not too many opportunities to sit still, be quiet, and hear the Lord of heaven speak to you. Jesus and His disciples were confronted by many voices, noises, and demands from the crowds, and this is what He told them to do:
31And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 32And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. – Mark 6:31-32
This was a typical action from Jesus. He would often leave the crowds behind, go to a lonely place, and pray. If He needed to do this, how much more do we? During His ministry, He was often bombarded by people needing His attention. Some needed healing; others, like the religious Jews, were seeking ways to eliminate Him. He was busy while He was with the crowds, but He also needed time alone, and taught the disciples the same. This time alone helped them to rest physically and emotionally, but also to focus on the voice of God. We find a great example of God’s voice in the first book of Kings:
9And he [Elijah] came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 10And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 11And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. – 1 Kings 19:9-12
This part teaches us a lot of the nature of God. He was not revealed in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but instead in a still, small voice. God the Father is never going to shout at you to get your attention. Rather, He works through His Spirit, who is calm and controlled (Proverbs 17:27 and Galatians 5:22-23). To hear His voice though, we need to learn to discern it. While Elijah knew this was the voice of God, Samuel at first did not know that it was God calling him. He had to first learn how God speaks to us individually. He is not often going to make Himself heard above the noise of crowds and social media that fight for our attention. He needs us to withdraw from the distractions first. Elijah did the same. Read 1 Kings 19 to get the full picture.
How often do you get away from the crowds and the noise of everyday living, to instead hear the voice of God? Just as Eli taught Samuel to distinguish between his (Eli’s) voice and that of the Lord, we must learn, or be taught, how to hear the voice of God. Elijah had to get away from the crowds and the dangerous situation he was in, to hear God speak to him, and get direction for what he was to do next. If you are in a difficult position right now, maybe it is not the time to run to the masses for their advice, but rather hear from God first-hand.
How do we know when it is God speaking to us? First, He does not often shout, but comforts us. Elijah needed His comforting words. It reveals the tender nature of God (John 14:26, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter). He is not in the business to drown people with his voice, as the world does, but instead compels us to remain quiet and listen to Him.
Conclusion
We need to learn how to hear God’s voice in our time. All around us the devil will use even the most innocent of situations to focus our attention away from God and become confused and distracted. If you need to learn to be quiet, take some time off, take your Bible, go somewhere alone, and just begin to read and pray. Leave behind the mobile phone, the very instrument that distracts us. Switch it off. Listen for the small, still voice. God will very soon honour your willingness to listen to Him, by answering you in a very intimate way.