Hearing God’s voice | A God who speaks
Series: Simple. Quiet. Present. | Bible text: John 10:3
God not only hears, he also speaks. The history of Israel already showed that God sees, hears and cares for his people. Through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, people today can hear God’s voice. The prerequisites for this are openness, silence and an obedient heart. God speaks in different ways – through the Bible, impressions or people. His speaking gives orientation, courage and inner certainty in life.
The people of Israel experienced around 400 years of oppression and slavery in Egypt. During this terrible time in the desert, they probably felt as if God had said goodbye to them. But that is not true. God is a good listener.
The Bible describes this situation with moving words: «He heard their cries and remembered the covenant he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He saw the Israelites and took care of them» (Genesis 2:24f NLB). God hears, remembers, sees and cares. We also need this perspective – that God hears us when we call out to Him and that He cares personally and deeply for each of His children.
HE is like a good friend who puts everything else aside when we come with a request. He takes us by the hand, focuses his gaze on us and gives us his undivided attention (Psalm 17:6).
God speaks
God is not only an attentive listener. He is also a God who speaks. In the New Testament, the second person of the Godhead is even called «the Word» (John 1:1+14). Jesus Christ is God’s communication to us. Heaven speaks in him. Christ is the incarnate Word of God.
But God had already spoken long before that. Creation begins with God’s word (Genesis 1:1). The entire history of Israel is characterised by God speaking to people – to patriarchs, kings and especially to prophets. This communication between God and Moses is described very impressively: «The LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as one who speaks to his friend» (Exodus 33:11 NLB). According to the Bible, God’s speech is nothing unusual. It is part of the relationship between God and man.
However, there were also times when God’s words were rare. We read about the time of Samuel: «[…] In those days, messages from the Lord were rare and visions were not frequent» (1 Samuel 3:1 NLB). Why was this so?
The time of the judges is aptly described in one sentence: «At that time, Israel did not yet have a king, so everyone did what they thought was right» (Judges 21:25 NLB). Self-will, self-importance and self-realisation are real obstacles to listening to God. If people only do what they think is right, they will stop asking questions at some point. And if you stop asking, you stop listening.
But God announced a new time. Through the prophet Joel, God says: «In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream prophetic dreams and your young men will have visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants, male and female, and they will prophesy» (Joel 3:1f NLB).
This statement is crucial for our topic. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit should not only apply to a few individuals, but to all those who follow God. In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God often came upon individuals who had a special task. But a new era began with Jesus. This promise was fulfilled at the Jewish feast of Pentecost (Acts 2:16–18). Since that day, people who follow Jesus Christ have been able to hear God’s voice.
That is why Paul writes: «I wish […] you could all speak prophetically […]» (1 Corinthians 14:5 NLB). In the Bible, prophecy is essentially the hearing of God’s voice. The word means the same thing, to stand before God. Apparently, however, it is quite clear that those who stand before God hear his voice and can pass on what they have heard. Prophecy is therefore the expression of God’s will. This can concern the past, the present or even the future.
God longs to talk to us – here and now. This communication characterises the quality of our relationship with Him. Jesus explains this very simply: «The sheep hear the shepherd’s voice and come to him. He calls the sheep that belong to him by name and leads them out» (John 10:3 NLB). Grammatically, you could also say: He continually calls his own sheep, and they continually hear his voice.
Set frequency
Maybe you’re thinking now: That sounds good – but I don’t hear God’s voice. If you are a child of God, you have heard it at least once. No one comes to God of their own accord unless God calls them. Nevertheless, hearing God’s voice is often challenging.
There are many invisible waves in this room. If we want to know what signals they are transmitting, we need a radio. Only when we switch it on and tune in do these waves take on meaning for us. It is similar with God’s words. God transmits – but we have to tune in and tune in to the right frequency.
- The receiver. God speaks on a spiritual level. That is why we are dependent on the Holy Spirit. He is given to those who accept Jesus Christ into their hearts. In a way, the Holy Spirit is our receiver for God’s voice.
- Set the frequency. The frequency of God is very different from the volume of our world. A rabbi once said: «Everything important comes quietly. The rising of the sun, the beating of the heart, a thought of love and the speaking of God.» If we want to hear God’s voice, we need to create space – in our everyday lives and in our hearts. The symbolic image for our annual theme «Simple. Quiet. Presence» is the desert. Interestingly, in Hebrew, the words for desert and word have the same root. There is little distraction in the desert. God’s word can be heard there. Where the voices of the world become quieter, God’s speech can become audible.
- Eliminate jammers. An important strategy in war is to disrupt the enemy’s communication. When communication no longer works, many things collapse. On a spiritual level, the adversary also tries to block our listening to God. He whispers thoughts like: Only enthusiasts deal with it. There is so much abuse in this area. Or: God no longer speaks like this today. If we believe such objections, we stop seeking. But those who no longer seek will not hear.
- A humble attitude of heart: One story tells of a woman who sold goods on the street. When she came to a crossroads, she threw a stick in the air. She continued walking in the direction in which the stick was pointing. A man saw her throw the stick three times and finally asked why. She replied: «I let God show me where to go.» The man asked: «And why three times?» She said: «Because he sent me in the wrong direction the first two times.» The story is humorous, but it shows an important truth. If we have long since decided inwardly which path we want to take, God no longer needs to speak. It is not for nothing that the ancient languages of Hebrew, Greek and Latin each have only one word for Listen and Obey. An attitude of obedience is an important prerequisite for hearing God’s voice.
Zapping channels
God speaks in different ways. It can be helpful to keep switching between these «channels». Which channel we are particularly familiar with is often linked to our personality.
God can work through Impressions speak (Acts 20:22; 15:28). Sometimes through Thoughts (1 Kings 19:11).
Sometimes through Pictures (John 1:48; Acts 7:56) or through Visions (Daniel 7:2–3). Also Dreams can be a way through which God speaks (Job 33:14ff; Matthew 1:20).
The Bible also reports that God, through Angels speaks (Genesis 18:1–10; Hebrews 13:2).
Sometimes it even happens through a audible voice (Acts 9:4).
Very often God also speaks through the Holy Scripture (Daniel 9:2f). God does not speak like a book, but through a book. Quite often, God speaks to us when we read the Bible and a verse or passage suddenly catches our eye and speaks to us directly and personally.
Also other people can be used by God to tell us something (1 Corinthians 14:3).
And finally, God changes over time our thinking. Married couples who cultivate emotional intimacy experience a co-evolution – they develop together in the same direction almost imperceptibly – they discover how their interests and feelings become more and more aligned. This also happens in life with God: «Therefore, do not orient yourselves to the behaviour and habits of this world, but allow God to transform you into new people by changing your way of thinking. Then you will know what God wants from you: it is what is good and pleases him and is completely in line with his will» (Romans 12:2 NLB). This often happens unspectacularly, but very sustainably.
I am personally very grateful for God’s words. When I began my ministry as a pastor in this church in 2007, I experienced strong headwinds. There was open criticism, but also anonymous attacks on my person, my abilities and my ministry. The reason I didn’t let this discourage me was God’s speaking. God had called me to this task in a supernatural way and through clear communication. This certainty sustained me. God’s speaking is existential for our lives. When HE speaks, it gives you an inner security that is independent of other people’s opinions. When God speaks, we can go on with courage.
Possible questions for the small groups
Bible text: John 10:1–5
- When was the last time you experienced God speaking to you or guiding you? How did you perceive this?
- Which «voices» in your everyday life make it most difficult for you to hear God’s voice?
- What role do silence and time with God play in your life? What helps you to be inwardly receptive?
- Through which «channels» has God spoken most often in your life so far (Bible, thoughts, other people, etc.)?
- Is there a situation at the moment in which you particularly want God to speak or guide you?
