Are You Hearing Voices?

The problem many Christians have today is that they cannot discern the voice of God. There is so much noise in the mind of the believer that they cannot hear the things they need to hear. This noise includes distractions, world views, vain desires, false doctrine, and our confidence within us. We fail to discern when God speaks, how God speaks, and if he is truly speaking. When seeking God’s will for our lives we should talk less and listen more.

Proverbs 1: 8-33 records three “voices” that we should pay close attention to. The first one is the voice of a godly father. He is encouraging his son to heed Wisdom and obey what he hears (vs.8). Godly parents desire to teach their children in the ways of the Lord. When parents are actively seeking to teach godly doctrine and teach their children about God, they will be blessed. Wisdom will become an “ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about the neck” (vs.9). Teaching the Bible to your children will help them discern God’s will for their lives. They will have the wisdom they need to hear from God and know that it is He that is speaking and not be led astray which leads us to the next “voice” found in this passage; the voice of temptation.

The voice of temptation can be found in verses eleven through fourteen. The temptations that the world offers people today will lead them away from the One True God. Temptations will lead people to lust after the ways of the world and seek the lusts of the flesh. These temptations sound exciting but only lead to disaster and the inability to hear the Master’s voice.

The third voice is the voice of salvation found in verses twenty through twenty-three. How does Wisdom speak here? She cries out (vs.20). Where does Wisdom speak? Wisdom speaks in the streets and public places (vs.20, 21). Wisdom doesn’t speak in secret places but cries out for all to hear and come to repentance. To whom does Wisdom speak? Wisdom speaks to sinners: the simple ones, the scorners, and the fools (vs.22). What does Wisdom say? In verse 22 Wisdom asks how long will they stay in their dangerous spiritual condition. Wisdom then invites them to turn from their wicked ways (vs.23). This is a call to repentance and faith in God. He actively seeks sinners to return to Him.

It is important for the believer to learn discernment. Are we hearing from the tempter Satan or are we hearing the very voice of God? We must weigh what we hear with the Word of God. Does it align itself with God’s Word? Will it bring us closer to Him or cause God’s judgment to fall upon us? Does it cause us to hate knowledge or embrace it (vs.29). Does it petition us to “fear the Lord” or to mock the Lord?

“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” Isaiah 55:6. Christians should seek truth and knowledge always. We should “Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good." Rom 12:9. We do this by listening to the voice of Wisdom, the voice of God. We must mute out the voices of temptations and finely tune in to God’s voice so we may seek and do His perfect will for our lives.

Memory Verse:
“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near” Isaiah 55:6.

Dear Father, I seek you today with all of my heart, all of my mind, all of my soul and all of my strength. I pray that I will search out Your will and Your ways for my life always. I pray that I will not listen to the evil voices of this world but be able to hear only Your sweet voice speaking to me. I pray that others will seek out Your voice as well and listen to the voice of Truth.