Listening to the Right Voice

I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying,

for he speaks peace to his faithful people.

Psalm 85:8a

Have you ever experienced conflicting voices on an issue in your life? Your heart might tell you one thing and your head the other. Or, you might receive conflicting advice from others. Family may tell you one thing and friends advise another. How do you know which voice to listen to and which to ignore?

The Word of God can silence all of the voices whose advice don't measure up to God's Truth - no matter how loud they are. All the voices we hear are to be measured against the standards of the Bible. The world attempts to drown out God's Voice of Truth. The static created makes it difficult for us to discern God's Will. Even people with good intentions may not be giving godly advice.

So how do we know we are hearing God's voice and not the wrong voice masquerading as truth? By reading God's Word we get to know with our Father. He shares His character and His heart with us in His Word. Reading the Scriptures helps us to fine tune our hearing! Dr. Charles Stanley says, "The most potent hearing aid known to man is the Holy Bible. It is the standard of truth against which you can test every message that comes your way." (Into His Presence) We learn to heed only those voices that are in line with the Bible. Any voice that contradicts Scripture is to be automatically ignored!

We can also learn to recognize God's voice through prayer. When expectantly waiting for God's leading on a matter, you know your are hearing the right voice, His voice, if you have an inner peace. When prayer, circumstances, Scripture, and godly counsel are all in agreement, all the static interference dissipates and God's voice becomes loud and clear.

The best way to recognize God's voice is to get to know Him. This means spending time with Him, in His Word, in prayer, meditating on Him, and in fellowship and worship with other believers. You can't hear your Father's voice if you don't even know what it sounds like!

Are you fine tuning your hearing?

In His Love, Cathy