Listening to the voice of God

 I would like to take a break from our series on spiritual warfare and talk to you about "listening to the voice of God". It's kind of interesting that God led me to this subject since Paul ends that section on the armor of God talking about prayer. "Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18). Isn't that neat? I believe the whole armor of God is encapsuled between these two bookends, truth (v.14-the belt of truth) and prayer (v.18). And isn't prayer one of the ways you listen to God's voice? Indeed, it is.

How do you discern that you're listening to the voice of God or somebody else's? Remember our heart is deceitful and perverse (Jeremiah 17:9) and we listen to it plenty of times. Don't we? We also listen to the lies of Satan when we submerge ourselves into this world and not God's Word and therefore causing unnecessary troubles in our lives.

I am reminded of the story about a little boy who was confused at first about listening to the voice of God, but then he really learned to listen to His voice to the point that he became a prophet. This leads  me to this thought: "How much listening are you willing to do in order for God to take you to the places He has planned for you to go? It requires some very good listening to accomplish that. I remember the words of the Father to His only begotten Son: “...This is my beloved Son;  listen to Him.” (Mark 9:7 ESV). Listen to Him guys, it's of uttermost importance.

That boy I'm talking about is the prophet Samuel. Let's take a look at 1 Samuel chapter 3. I have no words to express how special of a time this was for Samuel since "the word of the Lord was rare" and "there were no frequent visions" (v.1). The Lord really wanted to communicate with Samuel but it took a seasoned minister ( "Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy" v.8) to guide the boy into a place where he could really listen to the voice of the Lord. Three times Samuel confused the voice of God with that of Eli (v.4,6 and 8) but Eli commanded Samuel to lie down again and listen to the voice next time It spoke. The fourth time is a charm, they would say. Right from the beginning, we can see two special qualities from Samuel that are necessary to listen clearly to the voice of the Lord. That is persistency and obedience. Persistency because he continued to listen to that voice and kept going to Eli for an answer with no hesitation until Eli told him to remain in bed and wait for that voice to speak again. And obedience because he wasn't only obedient to his leader but also to  his Lord. To his leader because three times he says the expression: "Hear I am, for you called me" and to his Lord because he finally says: " Speak, Lord, for your servant hears" after Eli had advised him to do so.

Are you persistent in trying to hear the voice of God? Are you obedient to His voice once you make sure it is God who is talking to you?

I like the expression "keep alert with all perseverance" in Ephesians 6:18 in regards prayer. I can't help but think how alert and persistent Samuel was to that Voice that was talking to him and also how alert and persistent he was in praying for his nation Israel.

How can you make sure you're really listening to the voice of God? First of all, you can listen to His voice through His Word. You wouldn't know how many times God has talked to me through His Word and bless my life in a very amazing way. I remember hearing the testimony of Hank Haneagraaff. He used to have a radio talk show called the Bible answer man. He is a very knowledgeable man. He said that he came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior just by reading the Bible. There was a mighty work of the Spirit that day when He shone the light of Scripture to this man that desperately needed His Savior. Secondly, you can listen to His voice by the careful advise of leaders or people more experience than you in the faith. This was the case of Samuel. Eli "perceived" that the Lord was trying to talk to the boy and advised him accordingly. Sometimes others can perceive that God is trying to talk to us, and God uses them to encourage us to pay attention to what He's trying to tell us. Embrace those precious people that are kind enough to guide you in that direction. God has placed them in your life for a reason. Although Eli wasn't a great priest (v.13), God used him to get to Samuel.

Another important characteristic of Samuel in listening to God was consistency. "And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.(1 Samuel 3:19 ESV). It is obvious from this verse that Samuel never lost his line of communication with God; " the Lord was with him" and "let none of his words fall to the ground". Most commentators agree to the meaning of this last statement in the following explanation:

" This is an allusion either to water that falls to the ground, and becomes useless, or to an arrow falling out of the bow, and to the ground, before it reaches the mark, and so unsuccessful; or to any weapon of war, sword or spear, falling out of the hand of the soldier, whereby he is disarmed and rendered unserviceable."

It is impossible not to conclude that everything the Lord communicated to Samuel, he in turn, communicated it to His people. He was effective in communicating the words of God. Samuel was consistent in his relationship with God and was consistent with his listening to Him; otherwise, his words could have been rendered useless. You can never go wrong by saying exactly what God has told you to say, and that is because you have been consistent with your listening. So, listen to Him, it's good for your soul!

In conclusion, listening to God's voice requires persistency, obedience and consistency. Don't let the devil block your line of communication. Learn to listen to His voice and let other saints guide you through it. You'll never regret it!