Experiencing God's Presence #214

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

John 10:27

You’ve asked to hear God’s voice. You’ve believed His promise that you can. Still, all you seem to hear are your own thoughts. Maybe some of those thoughts are planted there by God, but you can’t be sure. They seem so subjective. So you wonder. And while you hope that’s His voice, you can’t say so with any confidence.

Does this sound familiar? It’s a common battle in the mind. Jesus promised we would hear His voice, then we wonder if we ever have. Occasionally we get some guidance that seems clear, but only when circumstances and convictions converge to the point that we’re reasonably sure of God’s direction. But to hear an inner voice telling us something specific? We question such subjectivity relentlessly, and our questioning is helped by the fact that we’ve known people who used the “God told me” rationale a little too often. We usually convince ourselves that the internal voice isn’t God’s.

We need to remember that God’s voice rarely sounds like a booming voice from heaven or even a voice outside of ourselves. Jesus said that the river of living water springs from our innermost being. The Presence is an internal flow of thoughts and ideas. He is constantly speaking to us. We just have to recognize which voice is His.

Don’t listen to any thoughts trying to convince you that you don’t hear God. Surrender yourself to Him and see what comes through your heart and mind. Be discerning, of course, but don’t overanalyze. (True discernment is a function of the spirit; analysis is a function of the brain. The redeemed spirit is qualified to process the things of God’s Spirit, but a mental process isn’t.) Trust the Spirit within you. When you think it’s God’s voice, it probably is.

Jesus, I trust You to speak to me. I believe Your promise of Your Spirit flowing within me. Help me recognize which internal voice is Yours and follow it faithfully.

From the book