Tuesday, July 27: What’s more important than listening to God?

In 1 Kings 19:12, Elijah hears a “still, small voice.” Many Christians refer to that phrase when discussing the voice of God, trying to explain our internal prodding to follow the Lord’s instructions. Yet a “still, small voice” won’t always get our attention with the tumult and clamor surrounding us. Do you think God stops speaking if we don’t hear Him? Or do you think He speaks louder until we hear Him? Whereas it is important to have spiritual ears and spiritual eyes, what is more important to us as believers is to have spiritual feet! Hearing the voice of God is not nearly as important as following the voice of God!


22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:22-25


We often hear fellow believers say something along the lines of, “God told me to do such and such.” Did they truly hear God’s voice out loud? Certainly, the Lord orchestrates even the smallest situations in our lives and if we are paying attention, those situations can remind us of His Word. Yet without having read His Word, how can God bring those verses to remembrance? Personally, I don’t hear God’s voice speaking to me in every situation of life. “Buy that car!” “Eat Spaghetti-O’s for lunch today!” “Don’t drive Interstate 5 this morning as it is going to be backed up!” Instead, God’s revelation is complete in the Bible. When I was in Utah last Thanksgiving, I felt an internal voice that said, “Honor your father,” then drove 17 hours to Kansas to see my Dad. How did I know it was God? Well, I didn’t, but being that it was a verse from the Bible, it sounded like it could be Him. When I arrived, the situation that occurred made me believe even more strongly that it was Him!


Yet be careful in attributing what you feel in your heart to God telling you to do something. As we know from the words of Jeremiah, the heart is desperately wicked and deceitful at best. Many times, you can tell it is not the voice of God as what your heart is telling you to do conflicts His Word. God never will do that. Sadly, when we attribute the prodding of our hearts to the voice of God and tell others, we are walking in spiritual pride. “God speaks to me louder than He speaks to you! I must be more spiritual than you are!” More than not, to hear God’s voice is to hear His Word, and to follow God’s voice is to follow His Word. Consequently, we need to spend lots of time reading the Bible. Yet that can lead to spiritual pride, as well.


Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.
1 Corinthians 8:1-3

God wants us to study His Word, and humbly with love, to apply His Word to our own lives. Additionally, the Lord desires for us to share His truths by ministering to others. That doesn’t mean we need to stand in a pulpit and preach to others, though that is perfect for those called into that ministry. The key is to share with the people He brings into your life. Yet most importantly, God wants us to walk in the ways of His Word. People don’t need to hear the Bible; they need to see the Bible in each of our lives!


Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
1 Timothy 2:15