Hearing His Voice #74

The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart.

1 Samuel 13:14

David was a man after God’s own heart, we are told. Later in the writings of the prophets, God reiterates His desire and tells Israel that He will establish shepherds after His own heart (Jeremiah 3:15). Eventually, God would wrap up His own nature in human flesh and demonstrate the kind of heart He has. From beginning to end, His relationship with human beings has been aimed at showing us who He really is and drawing us into fellowship with Him.

But that’s often not the context of our desire to hear God’s voice. When we’re at a fork in the road, we want information. We want Him to point one way or the other and tell us what to do. If God were seeking people after His own business, we would qualify easily. But He isn’t just interested in people who want information; He is interested in people who share His heart. That’s different. That goes well beyond a transaction of information. It’s highly relational.

This is why those who desperately seek guidance from God often don’t find it. We are after His information, not His essence. We have not immersed ourselves in His nature and sought to be like Him. We have not been zealous about hearing His joys or sorrows or interests. So when the time comes to hear from Him—when we have a keen desire to communicate with Him—we find ourselves out of practice. We try to listen for His counsel without having spent much time listening for His heartbeat.

One of the most effective ways to hear God’s voice is to want to, even when getting information from Him isn’t urgent. If we ask Him to talk to us about His desires, He will impart them to us. If we ask Him to whisper His joys, we will begin to notice them. Our conversations with Him now lay the groundwork for deeper conversations with Him later when we need guidance. As we seek His heart, He will share His nature—and His guidance—with us.

Lord, I want to hear You well—on all things, even Your sorrows and joys today. Impart Your thoughts to me. Let me feel Your heartbeat.