Hearing His Voice #230

This is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

John 17:3

Blaise Pascal called it his “night of fire.” Whether or not it was his conversion—he had had some sort of conversion experience a few years before—it was the most profound event of his life. For two hours, he was shaken to his core in a vision of God. When he died eight years later, a description of this vision was found sewn into his jacket. Pascal felt that before this vision, he had known through his intellect only the God of the philosophers and scholars. Afterward, he knew he had met the God of covenant, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He had moved from mental understanding of a Creator God to personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. His belief in God was no longer an argument; it was a relationship.

True encounters with God always have this effect. To know His presence or to hear His words is to be drawn into His covenant. Grasping at words to record his vision, Pascal quoted John 17:3: “This is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” He realized that a relationship with God is just that—a relationship. No one can have a genuine experience with God that simply results in greater understanding or new insights. God is much more personal than that. Encountering Him begins conversations, establishes accountability, and further designates terms of His covenant and calling. It deepens our connection with Him.

Never seek God’s voice simply for the information He provides. When you hear Him, the information is no longer the primary issue. The relationship is. Our response to the conversation becomes bigger than the conversation itself. We are intrinsically bound to the one who speaks.

Father, Your words are my life. Your truth demands a response and draws me into an unbreakable bond with You. Implant Your life within me through the power of Your words.