Listen for His Whisper

By Paula Williamson guest writer

Are You Listening?

Deuteronomy 28:1“Now it shall be, if you diligently listen to and obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all of His commandments which I am commanding you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.”

One day I was sitting and wondering—as I often do—what keeps us from believing God speaks to us? Why do people look at you like you’re a kook if you say you believe God spoke to you? If we believe God is the God of the universe, the Creator of everything, that would make Him pretty smart. Wouldn’t we want to hear what He has to say to us? Do we think we are smarter than He is? Have we formulated our own truths?

The Bible is very clear that He spoke—and continues to speak. Yet I have even been told by authority figures that God does not speak anymore, and if He did, why would I dare bother Him with my small problems. Here is my issue with those thoughts.

John 10:16“I have other sheep [beside these] that are not of this fold. I must bring those also, and they will listen to My voice and pay attention to My call, and they will become one flock with one Shepherd.”

James 1:5–6“If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.”

How do we reconcile the fact that God spoke to Adam and Eve in the garden? That He spoke to Noah and told him how to build the ark? That He spoke to Moses and told him what to say to Pharaoh? That He spoke to Abraham and told him where to go and what He was going to do? He spoke to people throughout Scripture—from beginning to end—in ways that would get their attention: words, burning bushes, dreams, visions, angelic visitations, and even in person. Why would we think He stopped? Where is that written?

The older I get, the more I realize that more often than not, I must unlearn something I believed was truth before the truth can actually find a place of rest in me. If you don’t believe God still speaks, how do you reconcile these scriptures?

Hebrews 13:8“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Isaiah 30:20–21“Although the Lord has given you bread of deprivation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher, will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will see your Teacher.Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.”

Mark 13:11“When they take you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.”

Revelation 3:22“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

When I take my last breath, there is only one truth that will matter to me—and that is His truth. He spoke. He still speaks. He continues to speak to anyone who has ears to hear. Will we mess up and think we heard God when we didn’t? Absolutely. We are human. But I would rather do my best to listen, and ask forgiveness when I fail, than to never tune my ears to His voice at all.

Prayer:

Oh, Lord God, give us ears to hear. Remove every lie we have been taught as truth—or concocted in our own minds as truth. Unravel the deceptions of this world: the mocking voices, the scoffing, and the fear of being labeled a kook or a fanatic. Help us to be courageous and obedient—like Noah, who built a boat for a flood when there had never been rain; like Abraham and Sarah at one hundred, when You promised descendants beyond number; like Joseph, who dared to believe his dreams; like Moses standing before Pharaoh; like Mary, a young unwed virgin who said yes to Your impossible plan. Oh Lord, that we would dare to believe, to move, and to live by Your truth. In Your great mercy, give us hearing ears again—and faith to believe that You are still the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.

Devotional Takeaway

God has not gone silent—He is still speaking. The question is not if He speaks, but whether we are willing to quiet the noise, lay aside fear, and listen with faith-filled hearts. Hearing Him requires humility, courage, and a willingness to unlearn what keeps us from trusting His voice.

This blog was taken from my book, Listen for His Whisper, a free download