Hearing the Voice of God
Yes, God is looking for hearing ears and willing hearts.
In Numbers 11:29, Moses said that he wished all of the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them. To be a prophet, you need to hear from the Lord and then tell the people to whom God sends you exactly what God wants you to say. The first step is hearing the voice of God.
Hearing the voice of God is not as hard as you think. We can all learn how by learning from the little boy Samuel in 1 Samuel 3. He did three very simple things:
He was in the right place.
He was doing the right thing.
He was listening to the right people.
The Bible says that Samuel did not yet know the Lord. It literally meant that he did not know God in an intimate way. Similar to the fact that I know the president of the US but don't know him in a personal way.
However, Samuel was willing to learn. He kept going back to Eli and asking for his help. He was humble and teachable, and he was open to hearing from God.
As a result, Samuel became one of the hearing ears and willing hearts for God’s purpose in the Old Testament. He heard God's voice many times, and he faithfully delivered God's messages to the people.
Here are some tips for hearing the voice of God:
Be in the right place. Spend time in God's presence, whether it's in church, in your home, or in nature.
Do the right thing. Live a life that is pleasing to God. This means following His commandments and loving others.
Listen to the right people. Surround yourself with godly people who can help you grow in your relationship with God.
Be humble and teachable. Be willing to learn from God and from others.
Be open to hearing from God. Don't be afraid to ask God to speak to you.
If you follow these tips, you will be more likely to hear the voice of God. And when you do, be sure to obey what He says. God's voice is always leading us to do what is right and good.
In closing, here is a letter that was sent to Dick Foth, who was serving as President of Bethany Bible College in San Cruz, California, years ago. He arrived on Monday to a letter that was addressed:
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Rob Livingston. I came to Santa Cruz at 15 looking for peace and love. Upon arrival, I got caught up in using mushrooms and peyote. I moved in with a lady who claimed she was a witch. Along with many others, I have been living with her for ten years. I have participated in animal sacrifices and even human sacrifices. One day we were at the local supermarket, throwing magic dust on cars and casting spells. One of your students came out of the store and confronted me. For the first time in my life, I was confronted with a power like that. He asked me, "Have you found peace and love yet?" The very question that I asked when I came to Santa Cruz. We have run into many of your students from the Bible College over the years, but something happened this day that was different. I don’t know who the fellow was, but he was married and from San Diego."
President Foth tracked the student down. He asked him about the story.
"Yeah, I came out of a supermarket one day and saw this guy throwing dirt on my van. I got mad at him, and the first words that came out of my mouth were: 'Have you found peace and love yet?'"
Foth said nothing was particularly unusual about the student, but he had a passion for Jesus and asked the Lord to use him.
Rob finished his letter to Foth this way:
P.S. "Please put that power into all of your other students!"
I believe that every believer has that power in them already. The Holy Spirit is leading us all daily, and if we listen and obey His voice, we will impact the lives of thousands over a lifetime. Can you imagine how many Robs are looking for peace and love?
Well, here’s why God moved in with you: To help you because you were looking for peace and love. But, more than that, to use you to help the Robs of this world find what they are looking for. Each one of us can give to the Lord our hearing ears and willing hearts!
Thank you for reading. Please forward this to a friend or two. :-)