Hearing God
I recently received a message from someone who read my story on my blog (http://dannycolemanstory.blogspot.com) and wanted to know if I have ever asked God why he doesn't speak with people who genuinely want to know about him? Since I'm a lazy bugger and hate to waste something I've spent time writing, I thought I would share my response:
No, I can't say I've ever asked God that, but I do have an opinion about it. I think that God is speaking all the time, but we often don't hear him. Are you familiar with this story in 1 Kings 19:11-13?:
I think, in part, this scripture touches on our tendency to have expectations about how God is going to speak to us. Jesus used to say, "He who has ears, let Him hear." During the time when I was not yet a Christian but was beginning to be drawn towards God, certain things would happen and I would think to myself, "Well, I can choose to see this as a message from God or I can choose not to." I can remember instances where I thought "I will choose to accept this as a message from God." Later, after becoming a Christian, I did hear God clearly and often and had conversations with Him, but I never heard God as an audible voice. What I experienced was all internal--in my head, so to speak--yet it was clearly not my own internal voice or thoughts, but the voice of Another. In the verse above from 1 Kings, the word "whisper" is rendered in the King James Bible as "still small voice." That is a good description of what I've experienced. Could it be a delusion? There is no way I can prove that it isn't. I can only choose to accept that sometimes I "hear" God speaking to me and that, upon further investigation, I've found that it is not an uncommon thing for people to experience.
But what I find is that if my mind is filled with "stuff" -- TV, music, etc., then there is too much noise to hear the still small voice of God. It is when I get still and small myself that I'm apt to hear God speak. One of the reasons I became a Quaker was because they seem to have realized this and made it a central part of their worship. The idea is to be still and listen. Patience is required. Unlike Eastern meditation, the idea isn't to empty one's mind. Rather, the idea is to simply wait and listen, expectantly. During the times in my life when I make this a practice, I find that I gradually *do* begin to hear God again and I find that the fruit of the Spirit --love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control--begins to manifest in me with little or no effort on my part. It is in Paul's letter to the Galatians--where he wrote about the fruit of the Spirit--that he also advised Christians to "live by the Spirit", to be "led by the Spirit" and to "keep in step with the Spirit" (see Galatians chapter 5), all of which indicates a continuous listening and following--not just to the Bible--but to the living Spirit (after all, the Spirit who gave the scriptures is the same Spirit that still speaks).
The author of 1 John was concerned about believers being led astray by false teachers. He wrote "As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in Him." John seemed to think that it was quite possible to be taught directly by God and that it would be sufficient. I should add that I also believe it is beneficial to be in community with others who can provide council and discernment.
Having said all this, I also think that people are wired differently and it would be a mistake for me to assume that what works for me will work for anyone else. Likewise, God may speak to you in a manner that would not get through to me. Your question was about God speaking to people who genuinely want to know about Him, but I think what God is really interested in is people knowing Him (not about Him). I know a lot of things about my grandparents, but I never knew them, as they died when I was quite young. I would rather that I had known them instead of just knowing about them. I think that God's desire is for us to *know* Him in a deep and relational sense.
I also believe that there are many people of many different faiths who know Him, not because they practice a particular religion, but because they have experienced Him. William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania and a Quaker, wrote: "The humble, meek, merciful, just, pious and devout souls everywhere are of one religion and when death has taken off the mask, they will know one another, though the diverse liveries they wore here make them strangers."
No, I can't say I've ever asked God that, but I do have an opinion about it. I think that God is speaking all the time, but we often don't hear him. Are you familiar with this story in 1 Kings 19:11-13?:
The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
I think, in part, this scripture touches on our tendency to have expectations about how God is going to speak to us. Jesus used to say, "He who has ears, let Him hear." During the time when I was not yet a Christian but was beginning to be drawn towards God, certain things would happen and I would think to myself, "Well, I can choose to see this as a message from God or I can choose not to." I can remember instances where I thought "I will choose to accept this as a message from God." Later, after becoming a Christian, I did hear God clearly and often and had conversations with Him, but I never heard God as an audible voice. What I experienced was all internal--in my head, so to speak--yet it was clearly not my own internal voice or thoughts, but the voice of Another. In the verse above from 1 Kings, the word "whisper" is rendered in the King James Bible as "still small voice." That is a good description of what I've experienced. Could it be a delusion? There is no way I can prove that it isn't. I can only choose to accept that sometimes I "hear" God speaking to me and that, upon further investigation, I've found that it is not an uncommon thing for people to experience.
But what I find is that if my mind is filled with "stuff" -- TV, music, etc., then there is too much noise to hear the still small voice of God. It is when I get still and small myself that I'm apt to hear God speak. One of the reasons I became a Quaker was because they seem to have realized this and made it a central part of their worship. The idea is to be still and listen. Patience is required. Unlike Eastern meditation, the idea isn't to empty one's mind. Rather, the idea is to simply wait and listen, expectantly. During the times in my life when I make this a practice, I find that I gradually *do* begin to hear God again and I find that the fruit of the Spirit --love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control--begins to manifest in me with little or no effort on my part. It is in Paul's letter to the Galatians--where he wrote about the fruit of the Spirit--that he also advised Christians to "live by the Spirit", to be "led by the Spirit" and to "keep in step with the Spirit" (see Galatians chapter 5), all of which indicates a continuous listening and following--not just to the Bible--but to the living Spirit (after all, the Spirit who gave the scriptures is the same Spirit that still speaks).
The author of 1 John was concerned about believers being led astray by false teachers. He wrote "As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in Him." John seemed to think that it was quite possible to be taught directly by God and that it would be sufficient. I should add that I also believe it is beneficial to be in community with others who can provide council and discernment.
Having said all this, I also think that people are wired differently and it would be a mistake for me to assume that what works for me will work for anyone else. Likewise, God may speak to you in a manner that would not get through to me. Your question was about God speaking to people who genuinely want to know about Him, but I think what God is really interested in is people knowing Him (not about Him). I know a lot of things about my grandparents, but I never knew them, as they died when I was quite young. I would rather that I had known them instead of just knowing about them. I think that God's desire is for us to *know* Him in a deep and relational sense.
I also believe that there are many people of many different faiths who know Him, not because they practice a particular religion, but because they have experienced Him. William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania and a Quaker, wrote: "The humble, meek, merciful, just, pious and devout souls everywhere are of one religion and when death has taken off the mask, they will know one another, though the diverse liveries they wore here make them strangers."
6 Comments:
Danny, As I read your post, I was reminded of how similar your experience of hearing the voice of God is to mine, and I thought of one of my favorite hymns (text below) and wondered if you know it.
1 I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me;
it was not I that found, O Savior true;
no, I was found, was found of thee.
2 Thou didst reach forth thy hand and mine enfold;
I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea;
'Twas not so much that I on thee took hold,
as thou, dear Lord, took hold on me.
3 I find, I walk, I love; but, oh, the whole
of love is but my answer, Lord, to thee!
For thou wert long beforehand with my soul;
always, always thou lovedst me.
Wow. Thanks for this. It's sure to be really helpful explaining Q worship to my (f)riends.
That's beautiful. Thanks for sharing it. I'm going to see if I can find the music for it.
It's often set to the tune "Finlandia" by Sibelius, which requires repeating the last two lines. There is also a setting in the Pilgrim Hymnal of the (US) Congregational Church (now United Church of Christ). The same setting is found in the Hymnbook (1955) of the Presbyterian Church (US).
I have found, & written about, that in the process of becoming still so one can hear that still small voice it takes time [as much as 20 minutes] for all the other *stuff* to dissipate & leave just the silence wherein one can listen for God. I have heard God in many different ways, including audibly, but the &still small voice* is the most common. I suspect there is a reason for that! ☺
I hear from God at all different times and places when I let myself be present to him. Too often I find myself in the future by worrying about tomorrow and in the past by thinking of what I should have done or said differently yesterday. God indwells the present moment. It is the only moment that is. He is there, we have to be also.
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