02/13/2025
This morning I want to invite you to join me in contemplating how well we hear the Lord's voice. He speaks to us often, but do we hear everything He says to us; and do we always recognize His voice? I recall Samuel being awakened by God calling his name in the night. Samuel, who from birth was Nazarite (having taken the Nazarite vow (Numbers 6:1-21)), and thus had consecrated himself to God. He would one day become a great prophet... but even he didn't always recognize the voice he was hearing. It wasn't until Eli told him how to respond that he said these words to God... “Speak; for thy servant heareth.”
“And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.”
1 Samuel 3:10 KJV
How many times has God called out to us that we didn't recognize his voice? Or, in how many instances have we prayed for guidance and then ignored His response, believing it wasn't him because He didn't say what we expected Him to? I can also recall doubting God had actually heard me in some of my prayers because the answers I was receiving were not timely, or what I expected Him to say... so I ignored them.
Scripture insures us that God always hears our prayers. In fact, He hears every word we say and the sound of every breath we take. Sometimes he even returns that breath to us as He miraculously did when He raised Lazarus from the dead.
“Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.”
John 11:41 KJV
Jesus wasn't thanking God because He might or might not hear Him... no He was speaking so that those who witnessed this miracle might believe in God and the power of prayer. Jesus knew the voice of God and answered it always. He is our example.
My wife has been asking me to get my ears checked and insists that I need hearing aids. I often ask her to repeat herself, and although there are many times that I actually don't hear her, there are many more when I am simply lost in thought, or my attention is directed elsewhere. In those times, she speaks and when I finally realize that she is calling my name, I have missed what she said... and respond, "What did you say?" I would like to tell you that she sweetly repeats herself, but in fact, this happens so frequently that she now becomes quite irritated with me, and I am told "You need to get your ears checked!"
Well, we do the same thing with God! Often, we miss His voice entirely, but more times than not, He is trying to get our attention, or is talking to us, and our minds are a million miles away. God returned to call Samuel's name three times before he finally answered, but I venture to guess that once Samuel recognized God's voice that he didn't miss many more calls. Perhaps he acquired a set of spiritual hearing aids, but it is more likely that he attuned himself to the Lord's voice.
We too need to become accustomed to the sound of God's voice too. We need to know it so intimately, and trust it so completely that when He tells us to do things we don't expect, or which are hard, or uncomfortable, that we don't doubt our hearing and answer Him immediately... "Here am I." God repeated himself to Samuel, and if we miss His call He will probably repeat Himself to us as well, but it is not good to make Him do so. God desires us to answer Him like my wife wishes I would answer her... the first time He speaks to us.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for speaking to me as you do, and for helping me to recognize your voice. Lord God, I desire to hear your voice always. Help me to direct my attention towards you so that I don't hear your calling as if it were coming to me through a distant fog. Teach me to recognize the sound of your voice so intimately that in a single word I know it is you. Let me recognize you just as easily as I do an old familiar hymn... often by hearing just one note. Prepare me for your beckoning call so that I might not doubt it when you call to me. Heavenly Father, I desire to hear you and obey... it is my desire that when you call my name you will hear me answer... "speak; for thy servant heareth!" My deepest desire is to hear you in all ways and never doubt my hearing when you are directing me in everything I do. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God who chooses to speak to me and allows me to answer you back. Holy are you, the creator of the universe, who would stoop down and whisper my name into my ear. Help me to stay alert and expectant so that whenever you speak, whether in whisper, sign, or shout, I will not miss or misconstrue a single word. Abba, each word you speak to me carries eternity with it and is important; none are trivial or trite, so keep me attuned to your voice and ready to answer, “Here am I Lord” when you call me, and “Send me!” when you ask who will go forth for you. Magnificent is your voice, and lovingly powerful are your words, touch me with them Father, and let them move me into action… body, mind, and soul. Praised be your name Father, and may all that you say, and that I obey and do, bring glory to it. Whether your voice calms us, causes us to shiver and quake, woos our hearts, or raises the hair on our bodies, we thank you for it, and pray that it will never grow distant, or silent. We pray now in the name of your Son Jesus Christ that you will call out to us, and that we will hear. We pray that in the still of night, a raging storm, a roaring fire, or the silence of a soft falling snow, that you will come close and speak to us. We pray that our ears will be prepared to hear, our eyes to see, and our hearts to receive, your every word and that our minds will know their true meaning and our spirits feel their most subtle nuances… for you are our God, and we humble ourselves obediently before you as your loving children. Glory to you on the highest Father, and may all men say AMEN!
“Give ear, and hear my voice; give attention, and hear my [God’s] speech.”
Isaiah 28:23 ESV
AMEN!
Rich Forbes