Brian Brown tells the story of being at the community pool with his family. Kids were screaming, playing and splashing in the pool. Music was playing, the lifeguard whistles were blowing and in the midst of the conversation, his wife shooshes him.
And over all of the noise, she had heard their youngest daughter screaming. As she listened to it, she then said, “OK, everything’s all right. That’s a happy scream.”
He said he was blown away that, over all of the other voices, she not only recognized her child’s voice but was able to identify what type of scream it was. Why? Because every day she talked with them and, in the process, learned the sound of their voices.
And then he writes, “Maybe that’s what it takes for us to understand His voice, that every day communication and spending time saying to God, ‘Speak to me.’”
This is why it’s so important to spend time in prayer. The only way you will be able to hear the voice of God is if you spend time together.
I’m not talking about an audible voice. But I am talking about that “still small voice” of the Holy Spirit as He guides our hearts and punctuates our thoughts.
We don’t hear the voice of God today because that would be extra Biblical information. The Bible is closed. The canon of scripture is closed.
As Revelation tells us in 22:18: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.”
Then how is God speaking today? Of course the main way God is speaking is through His already revealed word, the Bible. John 17:17: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” Romans 10:17: “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”
God also speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. John 15:26: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”
The Holy Spirit’s job is to guide us. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the “Spirit of Truth.” John 16:13: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
Never is this speaking of the Holy Spirit to our hearts and minds to be put above scripture. For example the Lord will prod our hearts through the Holy Spirit to speak to someone about Christ. Or the Lord will nudge our hearts through the Holy Spirit to do a certain thing or to take a certain position on something. But the Holy Spirit will not tell us, “Thus saith the Lord.” That has already been done. The scripture is complete.
Can you imagine how confusing it would be if people were still hearing the voice of God today? How could we know who is really hearing from God and who is not? That’s why we are to consume the scriptures and spend time with the Lord in prayer. So that we will know Him when He speaks to our hearts. And know that He will not contradict or add to His already revealed word.
Even Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)
We can know the sound of His voice that speaks to our hearts. Our hearts will know Him and know the truth as we follow Him each day and get to know Him more and more. He will guide us through His Spirit into all truth until He comes again or we are in His presence.
Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons on the way to church every Sunday at 10:30 Am on 98.9 WSIP FM. To read more of Pastor Jack Ward’s articles and hear his sermons at Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church go to tomahawkmbc.com. Watch his sermons on his Facebook page. Find him on Rumble, Bitchute and Brighteon video platforms.