HEARING GOD
I would like to share with you about hearing God.
To start with it is important to understand that the more you know the Word of God, the easier it is to
know when God is talking to you because there are four different entities vying for your attention. The
first is God. The second is the constant bombardment from the things of the world. The third is our old
man nature and the forth is the devil and devil spirits. Each one can give you information, but, there is
only one that can give you information that is pure and that is God. Whether it be knowledge of things
to come, knowledge of current situations or knowledge of how to heal someone the only one that can
do that is God. So, knowing the Bible, God’s Word, gives us insight on whether the thoughts that come
into our minds are from God or from another source. The reason that is is because God never
contradicts Himself. In other words, any thoughts that you have that do not align with the Word of God
are not from God.
There is a record in I Kings about Elijah and God. Elijah had done a lot of things that God had asked him
to do and now he was tired, so, God told him to get up to a mountain and God would talk to him there.
This record shows the importance of knowing God’s voice.
1 Kings 19:11-13 (KJV)
11 And he (God) said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD
passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the
LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the
earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in
the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here,
Elijah?
Most of us think to hear from God you should hear a baritone voice speaking over a PA system just like
when Moses went up on the mount for the first time in the movie The Ten Commandments. That is not
quite so. To hear God’s voice you have to be calm and quiet and listen for God’s still small voice.
I have often wondered over the years why it seems as though the prophets and people of the Bible
could hear from God better than we, Christians, children of God can do and it comes down to three
things. Once we receive the holy spirit we don’t build up that gift, we don’t align our thinking with the
Word of God and thirdly, we are constantly bombarded with a cacophony of noise to the point that we
can hardly hear ourselves think. In biblical times they had no radio, no TV, no movies, no horns honking,
no road noise, no garbage trucks banging and crashing dumpsters in the wee hours of the morning, so, it
was easier to hear the still small voice of God.
There is another record of a youth named Samuel and how God taught him to recognize God’s voice.
1 Samuel 3:1-10 (KJV)
1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was
precious in those days; there was no open vision.Eli was the prophet of God, but, Eli was a copped out prophet. Although he still had his position
in the temple he no longer did God’s bidding.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to
wax dim, that he could not see;
3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and
Samuel was laid down to sleep;
As long as there was a prophet alive the people would keep a lamp burning to signify God’s
presence. What this verse is saying is Eli was going to die.
4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
Samuel was quiet, his surroundings were quiet and God called to him, but, Eli didn’t teach him
how to know it was God talking, so, Samuel did what he was trained to do and that was to serve
Eli. So it was to Eli that he ran.
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie
down again. And he went and lay down.
Eli didn’t know God had called Samuel, but, he should have.
6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am
I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
Eli was so far removed from talking with God that it didn’t even cross him mind that God could
be calling Samuel.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto
him.
When it says Samuel didn’t know the Lord it means that Samuel didn’t recognize that it was God
calling.
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said,
Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
FINALLY! Eli gets a clue!
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt
say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel
answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
Once Samuel understood that it was God talking to him he would from then on always recognize the still
small voice of God.As Christians we too can learn to hear the still small voice of God. It is only a matter of aligning our
minds with the Word of God getting calm and quiet and recognize God is talking to you.