Not in the noise. In the still small voice.
Not In The Noise
In The Still Small Voice
We’ve made it to the last blog post in the Hearing God series! We’ve covered a lot of ground from the Garden to a burning bush, and I feel like there is still so much to uncover about discerning God’s voice! If you would like to dig deeper into the topic, I will be posting a free downloadable Bible study that follows the basic outline of the posts but with Scripture, discussion, and reflection questions, along with daily challenges and declarations. The Bible study will replace the next blog post, so be on the lookout for it!
Humor me if I sound like a teacher at times—old habits die hard. But here’s a quick recap if you haven’t read the first few blogs. If they are already fresh in your mind, feel free to skip the shallows and dive right into the new stuff! Here are the most important truths:
It is God’s nature to speak. It all began in the Garden of Eden when God had the most brilliant conversations with Adam and Eve. Sin entered the picture. They ran. God pursued. From that moment on, He never stopped pursuing His children, devising a plan for our hearts and souls to be reconciled. The Bible is the story of God pursuing humanity—even when we didn’t want to be pursued.
Hearing God isn’t something you do; it’s someone you are. There is a deeper, more intimate conversation that God desires to have with every single person who has ever lived and breathed on this planet. But we can only get to this level through relationship, and God will not force Himself on us. In the Garden, God asked Adam and Eve “Where are you?” but he already knew the answer. He was asking “Where are you in proximity to my presence? Why are you positioning yourself away from me instead of walking towards me?” Hearing God isn’t about checking off the boxes; it is about positioning yourself in His presence.
We can have friendship with God. Moses spoke with God face to face like a man speaks to a friend. What we need is a burning bush experience like Moses. And God didn’t start speaking until Moses started moving. If you want to hear God speak, come close when He calls. ______________________________________________________________________________
When I started writing this entry, I thought “this will be the easy one. I’ve studied, I’ve practiced this for a couple of years now. I’ll knock this out in no time.” Two weeks later and I’ve erased everything I wrote and started with a virtual blank page again. This has been one of the hardest two weeks I’ve experienced in a long time in discerning the voice of God. I questioned if I’m even the one to share what it means to hear His voice. This morning in the middle of praying for at least the thousandth time about some situations in my life, I heard His voice. He told me to back up, get still, and write about this season—this particular moment. No generic scenarios because if there is one thing I’ve learned about the voice of God, it’s that He doesn’t send out information on a Remind app. It isn’t a one size fits all conversation. His voice is as unique and distinct as each child who calls themselves a Christ Follower. And hearing the voice of God is not a monologue; it is a dialogue. It is asking questions, searching for answers, and learning when to stop talking and start listening. So here is me trying to discern God’s voice, right here and right now.
Silence Distractions: If we want to dive deeper in our relationship with God and explore the “deep and hidden things” (Daniel 2:22), we have to silence the distractions around us and within us. It never fails when I determine to spend time alone with God that something competes for my attention. It can be a phone call—and it is usually a phone call that is important to me. The enemy knows how to lure me away from my appointment with God—let one of my children’s names pop up on my phone, and I’m like “Sorry, God. Give me a second. I have to take this.” Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that we need to cut off communication with our kids or allow dinner to burn in the oven. I’m saying I need to make that time with God the most important thing in my life at that moment. Get to my quiet place; leave my phone in the other room; silence the notifications on my Apple Watch; tell my family that I’ll be available in 30 minutes. I stifle God’s willingness to speak to me when I’m not able to give Him my full attention.
I’ve noticed that when I really need to hear from God, other voices get louder. And those voices aren’t always outside voices. Often they’re inside voices. Doubts, confusion, anger, anxiety, fear, and urgency are inside voices bombarding my mind over the last couple of weeks. In order for me to get a fresh revelation from God, I have to silence those inside voices. How do I silence them? By replacing them with truth from God’s word. James 3:11 says, “Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.” God designed our minds to focus on one thought at a time. If I want to silence the anxiety, I have to replace it with confidence. Sound simple? It is simple, but it isn’t easy. It takes time and persistence. What that looks like for me is every time those inside voice scream, “What if you are not making the right decision,” I reply, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives” (Psalms 37:23 NLT). I may have to say that 20 times a day for 30 days in a row—whatever it takes to silence the doubt. Then and only then can my heart be in a place to hear from God.
Ask Questions: This may seem obvious, but begin by asking the Holy Spirit, “What do you want to say to me today?” I’ve been struggling with some pretty heavy questions dealing with situations in my life, so I’ve been direct with God. There isn’t a question that God can’t handle. But sometimes, I get so focused on myself--my needs, my fears, my concerns—that I don’t give Him time to talk to me. Some days my time with God includes those questions I’m wrestling with and some days I put them aside and just say, “You speak. I’ll listen.” Have you ever had a friend that never seems to care about you or what’s going on in your life? When you go for coffee, the conversation focuses around their drama. When you see a text notification pop up on your phone, you know it is going to center on some aspect of their lives. After a while, you start thinking, “Does this person really care about me? Do they even really know who I am or am I just a sounding board or someone they want to solve all their problems?” How does God feel when I come to Him with my drama, and my interests, and my problems, but never give Him time to speak or show me who He really is? By all means, bring your hurt, your problems, your concerns to the Lord. Jesus encourages us to “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NLT). But also take time to just let Him speak. After all, He knows you better than anyone else. He knows what you need more than you do. You may be surprised that He answers questions you never even thought to ask.
Record What He Says: I can’t begin to tell you the importance of this step in discerning the voice of God. When you’ve invited the Holy Spirit to speak, write down what you feel He is saying to you. If you don’t like writing, get out your phone and open the voice memo. Record those thoughts. Get it out of your heart and your mind so you can process it. It takes practice to discern if what you are hearing is God, you, the culture, your inner circle or the enemy, but you will never learn if you don’t practice. Think about it this way: when you first meet someone, it takes a while before you recognize their voice—the nuances of tone, the inflection, the accent. But after a time, you don’t even need caller ID; you know their voice. You also know how they speak to you—the words they use, the way they turn a phrase. If someone told me that Steve wanted to get away for a couple of weeks with his friends because he needed time away from his wife, I would know that is a lie. It is completely out of his character. Sometimes he even follows me to the bathroom and stands outside the door to talk. He wouldn’t say that he needed time away from me. Jesus reminds us, “My sheep know my voice...they won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice” (John 10:4-5 NLT). It is possible to discern the voice of God from all others, but it only comes through time spent with God. Do you want to hear God speak? Write down your questions and record what God answers.
Scripture: The first and final word on discerning God’s voice is the Word of God recorded in Scripture. God will never contradict Himself in scripture. Do you want to know His character? Read the Gospels. Jesus said if you’ve seen me, then you’ve seen the Father (John 14:9). Do you want to understand the plan of God? Read the Bible from cover to cover and ask the Holy Spirit to show you how Jesus appears on every page (Luke 24:27). Now that is an adventure in itself! If you don’t understand the Bible (and it can be a challenge), download the YouVersion Bible app. Choose different versions of the Bible and see which one makes the most sense to you. I like to read the same scripture in different versions. Sometimes a different version will reveal a totally new perspective. And I would advise against the point and read method. I’m not saying that God can’t speak that way, but opening the Bible and dropping your finger down on a verse to read may not be the best way to experience God’s voice. YouVersion also has reading plans and devotionals that only take a few minutes a day but can lead you to greater depths of understanding.
One of the beauties about God speaking through Scripture is when He surprises you with something that you read weeks or months ago. I mentioned that I have been praying intently about an important decision in my life that had me at a standstill. One day this week, out of nowhere, God reminded me of a couple of verses that I haven’t read for ages. I was driving home from work, reflecting and praying on this decision, when the words dropped into my mind. As soon as I got home, I did a search and there it was, as plain as day, what the Holy Spirit had told me. He confirmed what I was feeling deep inside me with confirmation from the Word of God. I wrote it down in my journal, so I could remember and compare what I feel like God is speaking. We need to keep a record of God speaking in our lives. I love Habakkuk 2:1-2! “I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guard post. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint. Then the Lord said to me, ‘Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.’” There is so much I could say about that verse, but I’ll save it for another place. What I want you to understand is that it is important to position ourselves (watchtower and guard post) to receive the message from God and then write it down so we can share it.
Inner Voices: I mentioned that God confirmed something that I was feeling or thinking in my spirit through Scripture. Another way God speaks is through our inner voice. I’m not talking about those inside voices that battle to be heard. There is a voice, an inner witness, where our “spirit senses something that our mind has not caught up with” (thank you for explaining that beautifully, John Bevere). Romans 8:14-16 explains that our “spirit bears witness that we are the children of God.” Before we accept Jesus as our Savior, the part of us that is spirit is asleep—in a coma. When we truly know Jesus, the Spirit resurrects the inner part of us from the dead and fills us with the light (revelation) of Christ (Ephesians 5:14). The still small voice that we hear inside of us but can’t really explain is the voice of the Holy Spirit. For example, this week I just kept reflecting, praying and thinking about the decision I’m faced with. As I went through each scenario, I felt an uneasiness—almost a dread. When we seek to follow the way of Jesus, the Spirit will make it known if we need to steer clear of a situation. Just this week, the Holy Spirit reminded me of a time when He prevented Paul and Silas from preaching in Asia. And in the next verse, the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go to another area where they wanted to spread the gospel (Acts 16:6-7). I don’t know exactly how God prevented them from going, but I believe that it mirrors the ways God prevents me from making wrong choices—perhaps by speaking in the inner voice, sensing that something isn’t quite right or off. The peace of God plays a huge part in this inner voice. When God is confirming something in our spirit, there will be a peace that can’t be explained. “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 NLT).
Counsel/Confirmation: Another way to hear the voice of God is through people, but not just any person. Ask God, “Who should I be listening to?” Does this person have a strong relationship with God? Does this person have godly character? In the book of Acts, Luke talks about the noble character of the people of Berea because they “received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11 CSB). From where I’m sitting, I’m thinking, “This is the Apostle Paul they are talking about! He wrote most of the New Testament, and these people are fact checking?” But that is exactly what we are called to do. Be eager and excited to hear from God but make sure you do your due diligence in verifying your sources. Just because someone comes to you and says they have a message from God for your life, doesn’t mean you should blindly accept it. God will never tell you something that contradicts His word or conflicts with your inner voice. Even if it is correction, God will let you know before He confirms it with another individual.
Circumstances: If anyone says that God doesn’t speak through circumstances, then open the book of Jonah. For anyone not familiar with the story, God told Jonah to go to this city called Nineveh and preach repentance and forgiveness to a bunch of people that he didn’t like. Instead of saying, “Here I am, Lord! Send me!” Jonah ran in the opposite direction. But God couldn’t let Jonah make a mistake that He would later regret. Even though Jonah was wrestling with a multitude of bad attitudes and misguided emotions, God orchestrated events in His life to get Jonah to the exact place he needed to be. The circumstances included a storm, being tossed overboard, and a hungry whale, but there was no doubt what God was speaking and what Jonah was called to do. God will coordinate our circumstances to get us where we need to be. I like to think of them as the guardrails of Providence. Go with me back to the scripture I used this week to combat those voices of anxiety and defeat. “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” That doesn’t make me some kind of mindless robot subject to the whims of an unknowable deity. If I want to know the days written for me in His book (which I am confident are good and perfect), and I seek to follow His ways, He will direct every detail of my life. If I don’t want to follow God, then that is also my choice. But look at the next verse: “Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” That is my guardrail. God has my back. He will not let me plunge head-first over a cliff. I may stumble, but I won’t fall. Those are His words, not mine. Ask God to open doors that no one can close and close doors that no one can open. Be willing to accept what His answer is whether it is yes, no, or wait.
Dreams and Visions: This last one that I’m mentioning today is not one that God speaks to me through very often, although He has. Job 33:14-16 reminds us that “God speaks time and time again, but a person may not notice it. In a dream, a vision in the night, when deep sleep comes over people as they slumber on their beds, he uncovers their ears...” Since God has spoken to His people throughout the entirety of Scripture in this way, it only makes sense that He still speaks through dreams and visions today. Joel 2:28 states, “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.” My desire is to dive deeper into how God speaks to us through dreams, but for now, remember these truths:
Dreams never replace the authority of the Word of God. Compare what you believe God is saying in a dream to what He says in His Word.
Write it down. If I have a dream that seems significant or just resonates with that inner voice I talked about, I ask God to show me what He is speaking. Writing it down allows me to go back and compare what God has spoken to me throughout time. Often something will come to light weeks or months later.
If you feel like a dream is about a specific person or situation, stop right then and pray about it. God has revealed things to me in dreams for me to intercede for people or circumstances.
Tell the Holy Spirit that you are open to hearing from Him anyway He wants to speak...and don’t be surprised when you hear His voice in the most unlikely times and places.
Challenge of the Week:
Practice hearing the voice of God in your life this week. Carve some time out of your week to listen for His voice:
Silence Distraction: Find a quiet spot this week and put everything on Do Not Disturb. Make God the most important person in the room.
Ask Questions: Share your heart with Him, but also find a time to say, “What do you want to say to me today?”
Read Scripture: Pull out your Bible or the YouVersion app and read with a purpose in mind. “What is God saying?” Try reading a verse or a passage in several different versions to see if anything stands out.
Write it Down: Write down (or record) what you believe God is saying to you today. Is it a specific Bible verse? Something you believe He is telling you to do or not to do? Write it down or record it on your phone. Go back often and see what God is speaking. You will begin to see a pattern, and the Holy Spirit will remind you of important truths when you need them.
Listen to that Inner Voice: The peace of God acts like an umpire in our hearts. An umpire makes decisions, settles disputes, assesses, and moderates. That is a job description of the peace of God in your heart. Always follow peace.
Seek Godly Counsel or Confirmation: Seek counsel from people who are further along than you. Remember that in an abundance of opinions there is confusion; in an abundance of counsel, there is wisdom (Proverbs 15:22) It’s okay even if you get contradicting counsel because it will give you a bigger picture of what you’re navigating in life. Ask God who you should listen to and then weigh what they say against Scripture and your inner witness.
Analyze Your Circumstances: Ask God to direct every detail of your life and look for those open and closed doors.
Dreams and Visions: Write down or voice record the details of any dreams you feel may be significant. Compare them to what God is speaking in your life. And don’t beat yourself up or feel like you are less “spiritual” if you don’t feel God speaking to you in this way. Remember, He speaks to you uniquely. No one’s relationship with God is exactly like yours. Know that He loves you and speaks your language perfectly!
Until next week...dive deep and drown willingly.
