Take out the hearing aid and dust off your Bible

Posted on 13. Oct, 2009 by Brett in God

I’m in the Blue Ridge mountains right now on a creative and spiritual retreat. Lots of Christians go to the mountains to hear from God.

I’m just not that worried about hearing “the voice of God.” As a teen I spent so much time wondering/worrying/wringing my hands about certain thoughts that would float through my mind:

“You need to leave it all and become a missionary.”

“Go share the Gospel with that person…after all…he has tattoos. Do it, or I’ll be pissed.”

“Keep practicing your free throws…you’re going to play in the NBA one day.”

Hmmmm…. Really? Honestly, I get frustrated when I see books about “hearing the voice of God.” Never once have I needed coaching on hearing my mom’s voice. I recognize the sound of her voice on the phone. I know when she emails me. Her text messages come only from her cell phone number. There is never any confusion when she communicates with me.

I’ve never heard an audible voice from God, and I don’t put much stock in strong emotional intuitions that come to me in worship services. Yet God somehow manages to speak to me every day:

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” – 2 Cor 12:9

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” – Rom 12:21

“Honor one another above yourselves.” – Rom 12:10b

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” – James 1:27

God’s already given us about 780,000 words in a pretty popular book he published. Yet we walk around frustrated because we haven’t heard some “fresh word.” He’s told you plenty already. If God were a person, his throat would be sore from saying so much.

If God chooses to speak to me, I’m pretty sure I’ll know. But I’m finished fine-tuning my mystical hearing aid.

Have you ever heard the voice of God? Does God still speak at all?

6 Responses to “Take out the hearing aid and dust off your Bible”

  1. Judi

    13. Oct, 2009

    I agree with everything you’ve said, Brett, … for you. However, you, like myself and my children, have been “churched” and immersed in the Word of God since birth … lots of folks haven’t. I think we can no longer even assume that most Southerners have been raised with some kind of “religious ” training. I know we are finding this to be so in our ministry more and more.

    I fully agree that the Lord speaks through His word; anything, any nudge, any inclination that I feel is from Him MUST align with His word. Sometimes, it is not so much a “fresh” word that folks need, just an arrow pointing them in the right direction or a confirmation of what we think the Lord might be urging us to do. I just know that there are some books that really support this and some people will read those (maybe even because of the popularity of the author) so I’m not quite willing to throw the “bath water out with the baby.”

    I love reading your blogs and trying to see things from a younger, “fresher” perspective. I pray you have an awesome, refreshing time on your retreat.

  2. Rick Barnes

    13. Oct, 2009

    Thanks, Brett. At first, I though you were going to bash elderly people or something! Thanks for taking the time to think and write.

  3. Brett

    13. Oct, 2009

    My friend Brad Simmons just shared a great Piper article on this subject. Worth the read!

    http://bit.ly/13hB3n

  4. Laura

    13. Oct, 2009

    I have heard the Lord speak to me on quite a few different occasions, and I remember every one. Once it was so ‘loud’ in my head that I literally jumped. On every occasion I did not hear with my ‘ears’, but ‘in my head’. However, it was clear, and each time, I knew He has spoken; on every occasion it was a surprise (I was not expecting it). Sometimes it is a word of encouragement . (like when He first spoke to me as a lonely little 7 year old girl and said, ‘You’re my little lamb”; I barely knew that there WAS a God at that point in my life)….sometimes a command….once it was a rebuke…sometimes something very specific to that moment (like when He told me very specifically to stop at a bar I was approaching in my vehicle). So, yes…He DOES speak directly and personally.

    The Word is His PRIMARY ‘message’ and it is our plumb line to help us know Him and discern His voice (since there are other ‘voices’ from the spiritual realm that can speak just as directly). The closer you are to Him, the more on ’speaking terms’ you are to Him, friend to friend, the more you will hear Him…and it will not always be a verse of scripture. But, if it is Him, it will not ever VIOLATE scripture.

  5. Denny Holland

    13. Oct, 2009

    This is one of my new favorites. Ive struggled with this my whole christian life and have failed miserably in it. I use to always assume the obvious, waiting for the big booming voice as if I was Charleton Heston playing Moses. Its always exciting to see what spontaneous way God will choose to speak to you through…the Bible being the first standard of course. Excellent post…

  6. Bethany S.

    14. Oct, 2009

    Really encouraging post Brett. I’ve never had a loud booming voice moment either, but I wonder how much we are drowning out his voice by filling our minds with other things. I know God is speaking to me every day because He brings to mind verses from His word to encourage me. There have been so many times that I have been discouraged or tempted, and verses start coming into my head that deal with my specific situation…verses that I’ve never memorized. I honestly don’t think this would happen except for the fact that I’m in the Word consistently every day. When you fill your mind with His Word, He will use it to speak to you. The most blatant answer I’ve ever gotten from God came to me about a month ago. I was desperately praying about a situation that I felt so helpless with, and I had a dream that night where a phrase was tattooed in big letters on my forearm. The next morning, I was wondering about the dream, and verses popped into my head that had that exact phrase in it and that were dealing with my question/problem. Then when I went to church, the pastor preached on exactly the same verses that had come into my head that morning, and he kept saying the phrase that was tattooed on my arm over and over. I’ve never felt God’s comfort so much as at that time…it was like He was saying I understand your struggle and I care enough to let you know. I believe God uses the Bible as the main way He speaks to us, and if our hearts and minds are filled with His Word, I think it opens us up to hear Him and see Him in other ways as well. Every time I read the Bible, I find something new. I don’t believe it’s something that can be exhausted. It’s living and active, and God WILL speak to you through it if you let him.

    “When you open God’s Word God opens His mouth. When you close God’s Word God closes His mouth.” Rick Warren

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