Those who hear will live!

John 5:25-30 : I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

As I was reading today, this verse really stood out to me. Not only because I have been praying for my ears to be opened, but also because the message at church this week was all about hearing God.

There have been so many times in my spiritual journey that I wished I could just call God on the phone and have a conversation with Him. It would be so much easier, at times, if we could hear His voice in the same way we hear our children, our spouse, or a friend. 

This weekend, our Pastor explained that the way that God speaks most clearly is through His Word. If we are not reading the Word, or learning it, or taking the time to listen, we are going to have trouble recognizing His voice when He speaks to us. We need to learn His language before we can hear Him. There are so many voices that would love to detour us from the path that God has laid before us. But, if we know His character and the way He speaks, we will be prepared to discern a fake from the real thing.

God doesn’t want us to guess or struggle. He wants to speak to us. We have to be willing to put the time into the relationship and slow down enough so that He can speak through all of the clutter and noise around us.

I recently had a conversation with my daughter about hearing from God. We started a charm bracelet for her three years ago. Last week, she decided to wear it to school and then decided it was bothering her. She took it off and threw it in her backpack. We haven’t seen it since. She was very upset when she discovered that it was missing. We sat down and immediately prayed about the loss. A while later, as she was still frantically looking, she started crying about the fact that God was not speaking to her. This disappointment only added to the loss that she was already dealing with. I explained to her that God does not speak to us in the same way that I was speaking to her. She felt as if there was something wrong with her. I explained that, just like any good relationship, it takes practice and it takes time, but the payoff is huge. I also promised that God would not disappoint her.

According to John W. Ritenbaugh, “His enabling of us to "hear" is what begins to sweep away the spiritual blindness that has kept us ignorant of the purpose He is working out here below. This miracle of hearing gives rise to truly effective faith. It makes God's Word truly logical and believable, making commitment in obedience to His purpose possible.”

Lord, please open my ears to hear you. I believe that you are speaking and that you have a lot to share with me. I confess that I am not always patient enough or dedicated enough when it comes to spending time in Your Word and listening for Your voice. Please teach me to slow down. Please teach me to hear You clearly. Please open my ears and my heart to Your voice, in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

If you want to learn more about hearing from God, I suggest this website by Mark Virkler.