Hearing His Voice #191

His words are upon my tongue.

2 Samuel 23:2

In the movies, God’s voice thunders from heaven. It’s deep, calm, and authoritative, though it contains hardly any emotion. But at least it’s clear. No one questions what God says when Hollywood portrays His voice.

But apart from a few rare exceptions in Scripture, that’s not normally how it works in real life. We can hear God in a variety of ways, but very often He will speak to our hearts through other people. That’s what He did in the Bible every time a priest, prophet, king, apostle, ordinary believer, or any other willing vessel expressed His Spirit. David was able to say God’s words were on his tongue because that’s God’s normal mode of speaking. Those who are close to Him can translate the inaudible thoughts of His Spirit into audible words that everyone can hear. We can put human words to heavenly sounds. We are translators of the universe’s highest and holiest language.

In God’s wisdom, this is better than thundering His voice from heaven. It requires faith. It separates casual hearers from zealous seekers because it takes time and effort to discern the spirit behind a message. It demands a depth of relationship in order to distinguish the good from the bad, the true from the false, and the holy from the common. If God’s voice were all thunder, the world would cower in obedience, but would not be drawn into His love. But when His voice comes through those who are made and re-created in His image . . . well, that’s a different story. We can be filled with His truth and love. And when we are, we very often find that His words are upon our tongues.

Lord, when I hear Your voice through others, help me to be neither hypercritical nor under-discerning. Let me rightly distinguish what comes from Your heart. And when I speak Your truth and love, may it always be received by those for whom it is intended.