He is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice . . . . (Ps. 95:7)
My wife, Christie, and I live in a small, one-bedroom apartment. The apartment was built in the 1960s, and the wall air-conditioning unit is proof. While the air conditioning unit does its job, the sound of it running at full capacity muffles nearly every other sound in our apartment. Having a meaningful conversation while it is running is impossible. Often, I hear Christie talking, but I am not able to fully listen or understand what she’s saying.
Life feels like that sometimes. Both good things and difficult things can muffle our ability to hear and experience God and follow his leading. Perhaps we can hear and acknowledge that God speaks, but we may find ourselves unable or unwilling to fully listen and obey.
How do we fully listen and live in obedience to what he’s inviting us into? Maybe you are in a place where you are desperate to hear the voice of God, to feel that he sees and knows you, that he can bring peace to your situation.
What I have often experienced, and what Psalm 95 confirms, is this reality: If we want to hear how God is speaking, we need to know how he has spoken previously. To hear him speak today, reflect on what he has said in days past. He has spoken through creation, through Jesus, through the Scriptures, and he wants to speak to you.
To hear how God is speaking, listen to how he has spoken.
Joel J. Gorveatte deeply loves Jesus, his wife, and the church. He serves as the worship and next steps pastor at Journey [Wesleyan] Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
© 2021 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
