When GOD’S Voice Speaks Many Will Not Hear It

There are a lot of times scripture says God’s voice spoke and more times than not people either didn’t listen or they didn’t hear correctly, or at all. I wonder what God has spoken to us that we either didn’t hear or we just ignored? I like to say that it is always easier till see the will of God in the “REARVIEW MIRROR” than when you are either heading towards it or going through it.

Consider that just 100 years ago people didn’t have TV or radio to listen to which often monopolizes our attention today. We get in our car and the radio is already playing, and when we get home the TV is already on as well. Is there any wonder we can’t hear his voice or misunderstand what he is saying to us? How often have believers gone to church after a busy week and expected God to speak clearly to them when they have not trained their ears to hear during the week.

In the book of Jeremiah, God challenges his people, the Jews, to obey his voice. For Jeremiah to say that to the Jewish people they had to have the understanding that they “COULD HEAR” his voice if they wanted to, they just didn’t pay attention.  

Jeremiah 7:23

“But this is what I commanded them, saying,‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’”

God promised them that “IF” they listened and obeyed they indeed would be his people and that their lives would be good ones. Yet, in their prosperity they ignored God and took his blessing for granted. Funny how the blessings we seek often are the stumbling blocks we trip over.

Jeremiah 22:21

“I spoke to you in your prosperity; But you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your practice from your youth, that you have not obeyed My voice.”

Jesus said that his sheep, God’s people, would indeed hear his voice. That they had a relationship with Jesus that they trusted and therefore followed him. The question is how many professing believers in Jesus Christ hear his voice and truly follow him? I’m not talking about people who go to church and own a bible I’m talking about people who genuinely attempt to follow Jesus in their daily lives.

John 10:27-28

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

So here is an interesting clue about hearing God’s voice. Jesus once was before Pilate just before he went to the cross and Pilate asks Jesus an interesting question. He asked Jesus if he is a king. Jesus said yes, and then describes that it was for this very reason he was born, so he could testify to the truth. Then Jesus reveals a very important principle that many overlook. Jesus says that when people “IDENTIFY” with “TRUTH” they are the ones that truly hear his voice. In other words, those who have embraced the truth of God as their own will be able to hear God speak. This is why so many different people can hear the same teaching but only a few hear God speaking in the message.

John 18:37

Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 

All too often people think that if they see or hear the truth they will be able to recognize the truth. The problem is they don’t, unless they are already walking either towards the truth or already walking in some truth. Remember when Jesus gave the famous quote about being set free in the book of John? The Jews got furious because Jesus implied they were slaves to sin. They couldn’t hear what God was saying in the words of Jesus and thus took offense.

John 8:31-32

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

We are not set free just because we have an encounter with truth either by hearing truth or reading God’s word. We get set free because we have a relationship with truth, meaning Jesus, and then and only then will truth set us free.

In the book of Revelation the apostle John wrote down the word of Jesus in which God is making an appeal to professing believers in the church of Laodicea. Jesus said he was standing at the door of peoples’ hearts and knocking, which implied at some time followers of Jesus stopped following and now were on the outside of a relationship with God. This is a warning to all those in the church that think they can’t lose their salvation. When we think we have a contract with God that has nothing to do with upholding our end of the covenant we become just like the Jews. 

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

At any given time we all can stop following the real Jesus and start following the Jesus we make up out of our own image. What once was our hearts desire becomes replaced by something other than Jesus. Things like career, making money, family or any number of things and not realize our loyalty and passion for him changed. We still do the religious things that keep us convinced we love Jesus supremely, but the fire has slowly gone out or almost gone out. 

Remember this. God is intimate with the upright but not the reckless or foolish. He speaks to those who desire his fellowship.

Proverbs 3:32

For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; But He is intimate with the upright.

Today would be a great day to do a little “INVENTORY” of what sits on the throne of our heart, Jesus or other things. Don’t let another day go by without verifying you can still hear his voice.

Questions:

1) When was the last time you honestly heard God’s voice?

If it wasn’t today then something shifted in your relationship and only the Holy Spirit can sort out what went wrong.

2) If you have struggled hearing God’s voice consider this:

The Holy Spirit resides in and with every Christian life but we determine what place we give him to counsel and instruct. Ephesians 5:18 is a good place to start.

Loving to hear God speak,

Pastor Dale