tonyandkirsten.org

I’ve been thinking lately about what it means to hear the voice of God. I used to think I knew, but now I’m not totally sure what this phrase means. I’m not trying to say that I think God is changing. Surely this is not the case! However, I’m discovering more and more the subtlety with which God speaks and the ignorance which is so prevalent in my life.

I remember before I got married that I felt certain I was hearing from God. I never heard an audible voice, but I felt like He was answering my prayers to help me make decisions. For example, I asked for God to have my pastors tell me strongly yes or no that Kirsten was a good mate for me, when I was trying to decide whether or not God wanted us together. As I talk to people who have known God longer, I understand that this is one way of hearing God’s voice.

At the same time, I realize that often my process of “hearing from God” entails me being creative / wise and then running those ideas against Scripture and through prayer, asking God to give me peace or unease if I am in His will, or outside it, respectively. While not all bad, it makes me wonder if I create the “hearing”, or if God does. It makes me long for original content that comes straight from the Almighty, and is not limited to my brilliant foolishness.

It seems that this sort of creative, original voice of God does exist. The Bible testifies to it: Moses in the Tent of Meeting (Numbers 7:89) and Elijah on the mountain (1 Kings 19:11-12) are notable. I’ve also talked to people that I trust, who though never hearing an audible voice, say that they regularly hear God through ideas that they know they couldn’t have originated.

The thing where I realize most my ignorance, is that I too often fail to slow down enough to listen. I am a member, not a trend-bucker, of our fast-food society. However, everyone I talk to says that to hear God’s voice takes time. A whole lot of time.

So, now I’m in a place where I know I need to hear God. So, I ask….

I search….

and I wait.