The desire to hear God is a common one throughout the Church. And for good reason. But I’d like to take a couple of mins and talk about what exactly “hearing God” means.
Bry and I have been studying the book of Deuteronomy lately and it is an amazingly full and fascinating book. There is so much in there but are several things that keep popping out to me. Now at one point in history God literally spoke to His people. He spoke to Moses and Israel. They heard His voice from out of the fire with their very own ears. But Deuteronomy has the audacity to claim that God is still speaking today and in a more powerful way!
According to Deuteronomy, even more powerful than hearing God’s literal voice is reading/teaching/studying His written Word.
To say it another way – you want to hear God speak then read the Bible. God is still speaking today but now it is primarily through the reading and teaching of His Word. God still speaks, we just need to learn to listen. Which brings me to my second point. To hear is to obey.
In our Greek culture we often separate the mental from the physical. I can know something with my brain and do absolutely nothing physical about it. I can hear someone speak and not act. But in the Hebraic world to “hear” is also the word to “obey” bc if you truly heard then you will obey, and if you do not obey it’s bc you did not really hear!
So, when you ask God to speak be aware that He is and will continue to speak but are you now willing to listen? Are you hearing what God says bc if you truly are hearing from God you are obeying God. To hear is to obey.
May we be united in our desire to have God speak to us. May our hearts truly cry out this morning – Speak Oh Lord! But as He speaks may we hear! In the most Biblical sense of the word may we hear bc then we will obey.