31.) Hearing the Voice of God

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One of the most important topics in the Scriptures and in the writings of Ellen White is the importance of every follower of God possessing the ability to hear the voice of God speaking individually to the heart. In order to properly introduce this subject, I will go back to where everything began, and trace God's relationship with mankind from creation to redemption.

Adam and Eve, our first parents, walked and talked with God in the cool of the day as friend with friend. There was open communion between the Creator and the created. But when Eve chose to disobey God and listen to the voice of the enemy, they were no longer able to have face to face communication between God and man. They were expelled from their beautiful garden home where they would have had access to the tree of life. Two angels with flaming swords guarded the entryway to the garden. Before the gate an altar was set up where a lamb, representing the future sacrifice of Jesus, was offered for their sins. Centuries would pass before people would understand this symbolic ritual. But it effectively made a way for God again to communicate with man.

For many hundreds of years, there was no written communication between God and man. God spoke audibly, in dreams and visions, face to face, by angel visitants, or through impressions upon the mind. God spoke directly to Cain in an attempt to dissuade him from killing his brother Abel. Enoch communed with God so intimately that he was enabled to perfect a character which prepared him for translation. God spoke with Abraham as friend with friend, and even conversed with Sarah in the tent to give her courage to bear the promised seed. As a result of Abraham's intimate relationship with God, he was so certain of the voice of God that he was willing to sacrifice his precious son, Isaac, when God commanded him to do so.

Years later, when Jacob was fleeing from his brother Esau, God communicated with him in a dream to encourage him that in spite of his sin, he was still the chosen bearer of the lineage of God's people. Then again, upon his return to his homeland, he wrestled with the Angel of the covenant, -- who was actually the Son of God -- and by his earnest faith and perseverance, he won the name of Israel, meaning "overcomer."

When at last it was time for the children of Israel to depart from Egypt and go to the Promised Land, Moses spoke to that same heavenly visitant in the burning bush. This was the beginning of a lifelong face to face communication between Moses and God through the pillar of cloud that guided the people from Egypt to Canaan. God also sometimes spoke to the officiating priest from the glowing Presence above the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant.

Beginning with Moses, God inspired various men to write the complete record of His will for mankind in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, so that everyone can read for themselves the words of God.

"God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spoke in time passed unto the fathers by the prophets." Heb. 1:1. KJV.

"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Pet. 1:21. KJV.

Thus the word of God becomes the primary method of communication between God and man, and any other forms of communication with God must be tested by the divinely appointed standard of the word of God. But there are two other ways in which God communicates with people. Here is a quotation from Ellen White which clarifies the three ways through which we can connect with God and receive His guidance:

"There are three ways in which the Lord reveals His will to us, to guide us, and to fit us to guide others. How may we know His voice from that of a stranger? How shall we distinguish it from that of a false shepherd? God reveals His will to us in His word.... His voice is also revealed in His providential workings....

"Another way in which God's voice is heard is through the appeals of His Holy Spirit, making Impressions upon the heart, which will be wrought out in the character....You, my brother, will find difficulty here because you have not yet learned by experience to know the voice of the Good Shepherd, and this places you in doubt and peril. You ought to be able to distinguish His voice." 5 T 512.

It is of utmost importance for every Christian to know how to communicate with God. Otherwise we will walk in the sparks of our own kindling. [Isa.50:11.] It is a great privilege and responsibility to be able to know God and to share Him accurately with others, but it is a responsibility that everyone who claims to be a Christian should be able to do.

First, we must be fully grounded in the word of God and the Spirit of Prophecy, and check every belief and teaching by these divinely inspired sources of truth. But it is also the privilege of every Christian to be able to hear and know the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to their heart.

"Everyone needs to have a personal experience in obtaining a knowledge of the will of God. We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, 'Be still, and know that I am God.' Ps. 46:10. Here alone can true rest be found. And this is the effectual preparation for all who labor for God." DA 363.

"Keep the conscience tender that you may hear the slightest whisper of the voice that spake as never man spake." ML 322.

"Those who are most closely connected with God are the ones who know His voice when He speaks to them. Those who are spiritual discern spiritual things." 5T 134.

"The result of education should be to enable us to understand the voice of God." MCP 53.

"When one is fully emptied of self, when every false god is cast out of the soul, the vacancy is filled by the inflowing of the Spirit of Christ. Such a one has the faith that purifies the soul from defilement. He is conformed to the Spirit and minds the things of the Spirit. He has no confidence in self. Christ is all and in all. He receives with meekness the truth that is constantly being unfolded, and gives the Lord all the glory, saying, God hath revealed them to us by His Spirit." RC 133.

"The soul that loves God loves to draw strength from Him by constant communion with Him. When it becomes the habit of the soul to converse with God, the power of the evil one is broken, for Satan cannot abide near the soul that draws nigh to God." OHC 96.

"It is the privilege of every believer first to talk with God in his closet, and then as God's mouthpiece to talk with others. In order that we may have something to impart, we must daily receive light and blessing. Men and women who commune with God, who have an abiding Christ, who, because they cooperate with holy angels, are surrounded with holy influences, are needed at this time." IHP 67.

"We speak with Jesus Christ as we walk by the way, and He says, 'I am at thy right hand.' We may walk in daily companionship with Christ. When we breathe out our desire, it may be inaudible to any human ear, but that word cannot die away into silence nor can it be lost, though the activities of business are going on. Nothing can drown the soul's desire. It rises above the din of the street, above the noise of machinery, to the heavenly courts. It is God to whom we are speaking, and the prayer is heard. Ask then; ask and it shall be given you." IHP 69.

"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that he also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." 1 John 1: 3.

"It is our privilege to taste the sweetness of communion with a crucified and risen Saviour.... 

"It is as we commune with Christ that precious, holy light shines into our souls, until every chamber is lighted up and we become bright lights in the world, reflecting to others the glory of Christ. We are to keep Christ before us as the example of perfection....

"Communion with God is the life of the soul...." and "gives us a daily experience that does indeed make our joy full....

"To know God is, in the scriptural sense of the term, to be one with Him in heart and mind, having an experimental knowledge of Him, holding reverential communion with Him as the Redeemer. Only through sincere obedience can this communion be obtained." IHP 72.

What a privilege it is to realize that we can have God with us in all our life's journey! We don't need to stumble in the dark, because we can have communion with Jesus to guide us in everything we do and say, through the study of the Word, through attention to God's providences, and through the impressions and guidance of the blessed Holy Spirit. And hearing the voice of God is especially important at this time in history, for it is vital for those who wish to go all the way through the end without seeing death.

"We cannot attain perfection of character if we do not hear the voice of God and obey His counsel." SD 90.

"The heavenly intelligences will work with the human agent who seeks with determined faith that perfection of character which will reach out to perfection in action. To everyone engaged in this work Christ says, 'I am at your right hand to help you.'" COL 332.

Hearing the voice of God is essential to our final cleansing from all of our idols and sins before Jesus comes:

"O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.' Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, 'Away with you!' He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful." Isa. 30:19-23.

Here we see that hearing and responding to God's still small voice in our hearts is necessary for our cleansing from sin so that we will be ready for the outpouring of the latter rain. But God also has a majestic voice to awaken the people of earth to the nearness of His coming:

"The Lord will cause men to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail. The voice of the Lord will shatter Assyria; with his scepter he will strike him down." Isa. 30:30-31.

"God is speaking to us in these last days. We hear His voice in the storm, in the rolling thunder. We hear of calamities He permits in the earthquakes, the breaking forth of waters, and the destructive elements sweeping all before them.... God speaks to families who have refused to recognize Him, sometimes in the whirlwind and storm, sometimes face to face as He talked with Moses.... When the still small voice which succeeds the whirlwind and the tempest...is heard, let all cover their faces for God is very near. Let them hide themselves in Jesus Christ, for He is their hiding place." 2 SM 315, 316.

"Already the judgments of God are abroad in the land as seen in storm, in floods, in tempests, in earthquakes, in peril by land and by sea. The great I AM is speaking to those who make void His law. When God's wrath is poured out upon the earth, who will then be able to stand?" 5 T 136.

Today we are hearing the voice of God all over the world speaking in thunder tones that the end of time is it hand. Unheard of disasters in the earth and in the elements, as well as pestilences and societal unrest tell us that Jesus is letting the winds of strife go in preparation for His coming. At this time God's people must make their calling and election sure. We must let the world know that this is no ordinary time in history, and that there is nothing man can do to stop the steady tread of events that will lead us to the coming of our Lord.

Friend, how is it with you? Do you have an intimate relationship with Jesus? Do you daily hear His sweet voice speaking to your heart? Are you standing firmly on the word of God and the principles of righteousness that are found within its pages? If so, you can face the difficult days ahead without fear, because you know God personally and trust His protection and leadership in your life until He comes. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!