Driving my five-year-old to school this week was quite an experience. For some reason, the "Little General" (our nickname for Joshua) was filled with theological questions. I don't know what it is about morning commutes that sparks creativity toward the Divine, but little Joshua's brain was going into overdrive. This morning was especially humorous. He asked me if the soldiers who killed Jesus went to heaven or hell? When I told him that I didn't know, he asked me how we know if we are going to heaven? I responded that only those who pay tithes go to heaven. Not really. I told him that everyone who knows Jesus goes to heaven, and those who don't know Jesus go to hell. "That's why," I said, "we have to make sure and tell everyone about Jesus." Then he asked me how we get to know Jesus. I answered that we know Jesus by reading the Bible and by praying. "When we pray," I said, "we are talking to Jesus." Joshua then asked, "How does Jesus talk to us?" ("Out of the mouth of babes") I told him that Jesus talks to us on the inside - in our heart and in our head. Then Joshua broke out with a loud voice, "Well I wish Jesus would talk louder because I can't hear Him!"
There are a lot of people who would agree with the Little General. Why doesn't God speak clearly to us? If He wants us to do His will then why is it that sometimes His will is not so clear to us? Certainly all of us have struggled at times with hearing the voice of God. We ask God to tell us what to do about important situations in our life, then we wait to hear His voice - seemingly to no avail. So why the silent treatment from God?
The answer is that God is not silent. He is speaking to us continually. He is not trying to hide His plans for you. The problem is not with God speaking to us, but with us listening to God.
First of all, God has already spoken to us clearly in the Bible. This is why we call the Bible the "Word of God." It is God's revelation of Himself to us and His plan for all of our lives. The Bible is our primary source of hearing from God because it is free of human error or emotions. Most of our answers for most of our situations can be found by searching the Scriptures for what God has already told us about our situation. We just have to take the time to listen (i.e. read).
There are times when we have specific situations where we need answers that may not be easy for us to locate in the Bible. In these times we need to find a quiet place and pray. One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to speak God's direction and wisdom into our lives. He lives inside us so He is there speaking to us in our conscience and in our hearts and minds all day long. If we never take the time to be still and listen then we will not be familiar with His voice. There are so many voices in the world speaking to us. The more time we spend in prayer and solitude the easier it is to recognize God's voice. Jesus said in John 10:4, that His sheep"follow Him because they know His voice." Do you know His voice?
I know that when I struggle to hear from God on an issue, it is usually because I am too busy to stop and listen to Him. Every time I find a solitary place and seek Him I find that I can hear His voice clearly.
So remember that God is not trying to hide His will from you. It's not a game where He wants you to try to solve the mystery. God is speaking to us all day every day through his Word and by his Spirit. Sometimes we just have to stop and listen.
