Faith

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Can the voice of God actually be heard? Absolutely it can, but it is heard most in ways that are so ordinary it is often overlooked.

To some people, the thought of becoming a Christian is often associated with pomp and grandeur; the assumption is often made that the very act of becoming a Christian means that life will suddenly go from being a bowl of sour milk to a bowl of everlasting cherries, and that living will be easy as pie. In actuality, to become a Christian means that life will become even a bit steeper a climb than it was before; the reason being, we exchange a life of being self-focused for a life of sacrifice, submission, and service to God; the result being, that for some, they may be expecting that they will suddenly have a golden link to God and be able to even actually hear Him speaking to them.

As a result of being disappointed that life as a Christian, and the lack of a booming voice from Heaven did not turn out to be what they thought, many new Christians throw their hands up and give up before they can see what real and wonderful miracles can take place; the precious voice they wanted so much to hear, rejected before it was able to be heard and understood.

God does not often speak to us audibly because He wants us to seek Him in a more meaningful way, so that His speaking to us will be more profound and meaningful. Some ways that God has spoken to me are unforgetable. Often when I am searching for an answer to a problem and I can't seem to focus on a definitive prayer, I will simply pick up my Bible and, with faith in my heart as I open it, the answer to my problem will fall open before me...That is the voice of God. At times, when I have been so down in the dumps and would rather curl up in a ball, I have received a phone call or an email or a card from a friend saying they are praying for me and that they care...That is the voice of God.

God is everywhere...The very beauty and majesty and ruggedness of nature, in and of itself is God's voice. From tiny organisms teeming with life that can barely be seen by a microscope, to snow-capped mountains, to the calming sound of the ocean, to the song a bird sings in a tree are all the voice of God. Life itself; the existence of each of us is testimony and proof of God's voice saying, "I am here" and there is a reason for you.

God is not pushy. He doesn't want to hand us answers on a silver platter...He wants us to seek His answers, while all the while we are forced to trust Him for them . God never goes away from us...He is as close as a whisper and as present as the light that falls through the trees in a forest.

The Bible describes the voice of God as "a still, small voice". Often people mistake "hunches" they have, or "intuition", if you will, as their own inner voice giving them wisdom for what they seek. In all actuality, this is one of the most profound ways God's voice can be heard. It is God's voice, not our own, that whispers to our minds in the long hours of the night, or in the quiet of our thoughts.

The Bible describes the voice of God best in 1 Kings 19:11-12 when he spoke to Elijah :

"And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces 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; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice."

It is when we think God is not speaking to us, that He is at the ready to give us our answers...Not with pomp and circumstance and bands of trumpeting angels, but as a whisper in our ear.

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