I attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. One of my first friends was from Bakersfield, California, Ed Hamlett. Ed had transferred to Southern from Golden Gate Seminary in Mill Valley for one year because he wanted to see the East Coast. So one Spring break, we decided to take a road trip to see the Northeast and parts of Canada. We ended up visiting thirteen states and two Canadian provinces, traveling over 1,500 miles in six days. We ended up staying with friends of friends who would let us crash at their homes or apartments. Our home in New York City was with a friends' sister in her Manhattan apartment. It was actually a studio in a busy part of town. I remember having so much trouble falling asleep because there was so much noise on the street at night. I also got quite claustrophobic in our short time there because there were so many people, so much activity and so much noise. Just thinking about the kinetic pace of New York gives me a head ache. There were way too many voices for me. During the day, when we were walking somewhere, we would have to yell to hear each other. There was the competing noise of the cars, trucks, taxis, people, subway and venders. Neither of us were prepared for that type of experience since we were both from much smaller cities with a slower pace. We had a fun time seeing the sights and being totally confused tourists, but I didn't enjoy the pain inflicted on my ears. There were just too many voices coming into my ears.
It appears to be that way within the church today in America. We are hearing way too many voices. There are voices which want to legitimize sin. There are voices which want to coerce us into following Jesus to get rich. There are voices which only want to yell about sin, death and hell. There are voices that only want to talk grace, grace, grace without any accountability. There are voices which will tell you whatever you want to hear. So Americans run from church to church trying to decide which voice they like the most. That equates, often, to which "show" they like the most. Which music is more along their choosing. Which messenger dresses or speaks in the most pleasing way. Which technology best suits them. Which theology makes them the most comfortable. The list goes on and on.
All of these noises simply drown out the only voice we need to hear: The voice of Jesus. I have found that Jesus will not fight us to get our attention. Jesus won't shout down the competition, nor will He knock over competing voices. Jesus' voice is much like the voice Samuel heard - Still and quiet. In Psalm 46:10 God reminds us to "Be still and know that I am God." There are so many voices begging for attention, but God speaks to those who are listening. We must proactively come to Him to listen and be in His presence. Stop bringing a list or feeling like you must talk the entire time. Quietly, study God's Word and listen for His voice in those pages. He spoke to Abraham and told Abraham to leave home and travel to a distant land that God would show Him. He spoke to Moses and told Moses to go back to Egypt to set His people free, even though Moses had run away from Egypt forty years earlier. He spoke to David, convicting David of his sin but also bringing about restoration. He spoke to Elijah, not in the fire or the wind, but in a gentle whisper. He spoke to the prophets, giving them the words to say to those who were disobedient. He spoke to Saul on the road to Damascus. He spoke to John on the island of Patmos, giving him the vision of Revelation. That very same God will speak to us...IF we are willing to listen. We cannot multitask and expect to hear God's voice. We cannot cram God into a busy schedule and expect Him to speak when it is convenient for us. We cannot rush God and He will not be rushed. He will not compete the with other voices in our lives - the computer, the cell phone, the video games, the family, the job, the Ipod, the Ipad, the movies or any other distraction.
Once we begin to hear His voice, we will know what He sounds like. Then, we will be able to hear Him above the competing voices in our lives. His voice will be distinct and easily heard. My Mom found a unique way of calling us home each evening for dinner. We lived in a neighborhood with lots of kids, plenty of woods and things to do. When dinner was ready, Mom would call out and we had five minutes to get home. If we were late, we did all the dishes and missed out on seconds/dessert. So from 5:00 in the afternoon on, we would always be listening for her call. That call was a bosun's pipe which she would blow when dinner was ready. If we were playing football, playing at the creek or in the woods, our ears would be tuned into that whistle. When it sounded, we rushed home.
Once we know God's distinctive voice, we will have our ears tuned in. We will drop everything else and listen to Him. The Holy Spirit will lead us to overcome the many voices calling out to us. In those moments, we will have unhurried time to listen to our wonderful Lord and Savior. Are you listening for His voice? Do you know what His voice sounds like? Would you dedicate yourself to move away from the push of the voices around you to learn how God's voice sound? Then it won't matter where we are because our hearts will be tuned into His wonderful voice. May this Sip refresh you and guide you to develop a deep, satisfying fellowship with God.
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