Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 3 (day two)
And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent. vs. 1b
Samuel was a boy whose life had been dedicated before his birth to the service of the Lord, but he was born into a people who were not attuned to the voice of God. Even Eli the priest was unaware of all the movement, or lack of movement by the Lord among the people. It was a time when God was silent. Or was he? Clearly, God keeps his own counsel and know the plans set out before the foundations of the world, but we cannot become dull to his voice. If a word from the Lord is infrequent in our lives that is likely more to do with our own heart condition. When we dull ourselves to the work of the Lord it would appear that he is uninvolved. Nothing could be further from the truth. If we stop hearing from the Lord or sensing his leadership it is time to examine what is hindering us from hearing him clearly. Beyond that how are we teaching our children to discern the voice and leadership of the Lord? He still speaks.
The common concern is how can we know that God is the one speaking? We have the complete Bible, the inspired Word of God, to read, to study, and to meditate on.
Has anyone actually heard from God’s audible voice as one from a family member, friend, teacher, and mentor? I believe like most of you, if not all of you, whenever I have a concern or question about a certain topic or a decision, I search for relevant scriptures to see what the Bible has to say about it and to see how God has taught in His Word. That has been my usual way of hearing from God in terms of His wisdom, guidance and instructions, not God’s audible voice!
How do we define or interpret the phrase “hearing from God” matters! Does He speak to us directly, face-to-face while we are awake, during our sleeps, or from other communication means, such as listening to a preacher, hearing a sermon, reading the Bible, meditating on Scriptures, and so on?
My insights: A common concern when people think they heard from God, is whether the message is just from their own thoughts.
Please also read the following for your personal observations and further analysis on what does it mean to hear from God! This blog does offer some tips for “hearing” from God! I found it helpful!
https://relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/what-does-it-mean-hear-god
In conclusion, how can we discern between God’s true voice and other humans’ voice? What are your techniques for hearing from God? Have you heard directly from God with His audible voice? In what way? Do you agree with the article above?