When you know God’s voice, you can hear him in any situation.
One of the questions I get asked a lot, is how can you hear God? How do you know when God is speaking to you? Something Barry said in his message on Sunday struck a chord in my heart – the more you know God, the more you’ll be able to hear his voice. When your know and love God more and more, you find that he is able to speak to you in different circumstances, situations, songs, shows — anything really!
I’m instantly reminded of John 10, where Jesus says, “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” Reading that in conjunction with 1 John 4 gives an insight i previously missed.
The more you know God with your heart/soul/mind/strength, the more you’re able to hear his voice.
So then the question is, how do you know/love God more? Because most of us are eager to hear him, but don’t know how to get started. We surmise that the Bible, church, fellowship are all parts of the process – but how?
Well a key part of it seems to be letting God seep into your very being. So that it is his life that flows through your veins. Barry talked about reading God’s Word, saying that it’s not just about memorising scripture, but receiving it. It’s one thing to know, study, understand God’s Word. And it’s another thing to let that seep into your very being – so that the truth of God is received in your heart.
I’ve seen amazing pianists before. People who play with technical skill and ability. And yet it comes across cold or impassioned. The greatest pianists not only play technically well, but bring across the spirit of the piece as well. As if the piece itself sings out.
I’m beginning to realise that if we are to be people of God’s spirit, it means giving God’s Word & his Spirit access deep into our hearts – letting his message convict, challenge, inspire, release, encourage, still, and heal.
Perhaps the biggest barrier to really hearing God, is our own unwillingness to listen.
—-
This was a continuation in a series on 1 John. You can find the message as well as the worship at the BCEC Sermon Page or listen to the sermon directly – 1 John 4:1-6.