Can You Hear Him? (Learning to Discern God’s Voice. part 2)
“…My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
John 10:27 (NKJV)
Lesson #7 on a Journey to a Water Well.
I believe most Christians want to know and do God’s will. And I think God is speaking to most Christians. But some fail to recognize His voice. Because sometimes His voice presents like a deep-seated knowing, idea, or thought. In the spiritual metaphor, His voice wasn’t in the wind, the fire, or the earthquake. It was in the still, small voice. (1 Kings 19:11-12)
His voice is subtle.
And this was part of the lesson God taught in the months after I shared the conviction for the water well at the Thanksgiving table.
In February 2015, I dedicated the proceeds from a merit raise at work to the well. I can’t explain why other than God gave me the idea, and it seemed like the prudent thing to do. God had told me to sponsor a well, and that would require money. So, I committed to monthly allocating the merit raise to a fund for the unknown well.
A few weeks later, when I was on my morning run, I sensed God saying do the water well faster and by yourself. It presented like a thought in my head. But I had an immediate conflicting thought: I don’t know how to do it faster or by myself. I didn’t know a realistic way to fulfill God’s conviction. I said the only thing I could say. Lord, show me how.
So, He did.
We owned several investment properties, and within six weeks of dedicating the merit raise, I sensed God asking us to commit a tithe from the gross income on the properties instead of net profits to the unknown well.
Umm, didn’t God realize this was never going to work?? I reminded God we could barely keep up with the properties using net profits, much less if we significantly ate into the income to dedicate them to an unknown well in an unknown land with unknown people. I’m no CPA, but I can add and subtract.
As I debated with God, the Holy Spirit reminded me, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. (of Proverbs 3:5-6; NKJV)
I’ll never forget calling my husband and sharing this conviction. After a moment of silence, he said, Are you sure God told you to do that? I can’t help but chuckle now because I felt the same way.
I said, Best I can tell, I like to keep my money. So, I don’t think this is my idea. And I can’t figure out why the devil would want us to dedicate a financial gift to a water well for God’s glory. From what I’ve read and know about God, it sounds like Him.
This was such a hard step of faith for me because it was risky, and I habitually put too much security in my savings account. God was testing me; He knew exactly how to get to my heart.
The next financial test came in August of 2015 when God asked us to give up the proceeds from my husband's promotion to the unknown well. At this point, I wasn't surprised and thought, why not?
Sometimes God's convictions seem like an overwhelming wave that makes our hearts race and stomachs twist, like when He first spoke the water well into my spirit. But sometimes, His voice seems more like a nudge. Although the nudges seem like random thoughts or ideas, God is speaking; He's not using supernatural events like the wind, fire, or earthquake. He's using His still, small voice.
God whispers because He wants us to lean in closer to hear His voice.
When our babies were born, we kept them in a bassinet beside our bed for the first week or two. We could hardly sleep for all their little grunts and whimpers. When we moved them to their own room, we slept through their subtle coos.
It's tempting to move God into the other room and sleep through His coos. It is easy for our lives to get so busy and loud that we have a hard time hearing His voice.
The second part of the lesson God taught after sharing the well idea at the Thanksgiving table was sometimes, when we think we might have heard God’s voice; we're tempted to ignore it because obedience would be risky.
How many times have we blocked out God's coos because acknowledging His voice would require us to go against our logic, sacrifice, endure hardship, or overcome fear? Or perhaps, we've dismissed God's voice or naively ignored the nudge because we were waiting for a "bigger sign" from God before we take a step of obedience.
Although some may stay stuck in the land of passive Christianity, I challenge you to move towards a life of fulfillment by learning to recognize the subtlety of His voice and choosing to obey despite hardship, sacrifice, or fear.
When God speaks, expect a whisper, not a shout.
Lessons learned through a journey to a water well in Uganda.
#7. If we learn to recognize God’s voice through subtle prompts and nudges and step out in faith, God will move us from unfulfillment to fulfillment.
Want more? Start here.
Read John 10:27 and 1 Kings 19:11-12.
What do you think the Bible means by a still small voice, and what would that look like practically speaking?
Have you ever sensed a nudge or prompt to do something that made you feel uncomfortable or a little ridiculous? Did you question whether God was prompting you, or was it just a crazy idea?
Have you ever been reluctant to step out in faith and found yourself waiting for a bigger sign from God before doing what He wants you to do?
Moving forward, what are some things you can do to help discern if it’s God’s voice and give you the courage to step out in faith?