Hearing His Voice #5

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Isaiah 30:21, NIV

We long to hear God’s voice. We come to a fork in the road, a moment of crisis, a point of decision that requires us to take a step in one direction or another because standing still is no longer an option. We tell God that if He just lets us know one way or another—this way or that way, heads or tails—we’ll do it. Yet we’re still not sure. Right or left? We just don’t know.

What’s the problem? Maybe the Spirit within us has already let us know, but our heads keep rationalizing the possibilities. Maybe we only think we’re willing to do what God says, but really we’re approaching His voice as good advice to consider, rather than a command to follow. Or—and this is often the case—we’re merely seeking information, while God is calling us into deeper relationship. The promise of His voice isn’t simply for the purpose of communication; it’s for communion.

That’s the mistake many of us make in our approach to hearing God. We want information, and He wants a relationship. Our approach reduces our hearing to in-and-out transactions—we come, we hear, and we leave with more knowledge than we had before. But God’s desire—and the reason for His delays and silences—is to draw us closer and deeper. He withholds Himself enough to keep us seeking Him, as opposed to seeking His words alone. It takes more effort that way, but that’s the nature of relationships. In order to grow close, we must invest time, energy, and interest. And God will withhold a right-or-left answer if it provokes us to make that investment. Seek Him above all else—and His voice will eventually become clearer.

Lord, forgive me for seeking You as a giver of information rather than seeking You as a person. Draw me close, not just so I can hear Your words, but so I can hear Your heart.