Is That You, Lord?

Author: Pastor Darren DeLoach

Philippians 1:9-10—And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ...

When one seeks the voice of God, the subject of discernment becomes necessary to discuss. Why? One of the apostles, John, wrote about it in Chapter 8 of his “gospel.”

“Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” John also recorded these words in the same letter, Chapter 10, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

The quotes above are not simply the opinions of a man named John; these are the words of Jesus as transcribed by the apostle. Jesus is telling us that hearing the voice of God is more intricate than simply positioning yourself to hear; it is also being very sure that what you are hearing finds its genesis in Christ. To make this determination, a few measures must first be in place.

You must be a Christian; otherwise, you have multiple dominant voices vying for control of your thoughts.

Be grounded in the Bible to ensure what you are hearing aligns with the characteristics of God.

Now let us assume that you, the reader, are indeed a Christian. Therefore you are not being spiritually torn apart by otherworldly forces. Congratulations, you are the proverbial “Child of God,” “The Redeemed,” “Blood bought,” Born Again,” and “The Saved.” Surely, it can now be reasonably ascertained that the streams of consciousness currently inundating your heart and mind must undoubtedly be those of God? The answer is...“maybe.”

To decipher the many utterances filling your subconscious, you must possess the ability to DISCERN. The biblical definition of discernment is “perception, not only by the senses but by the intellect,” and it goes on to say, with more specificity, “of moral perception in ethical matters.” Discernment for a Christian should provide a deep-rooted perception that allows them to determine spiritually and intellectually whether some thought or pervading idea is God-spoken. In a nutshell:

“Your ability to discern enables you to trust what you hear.”

Sadly, though, we as Christians are largely led astray by the prevailing thoughts and not the “still small voice” of the Lord. A simple silly example of this took place in my life a few years ago. It was summer, and my four children were all still young, ranging in age from twelve to two. We were visiting my in-laws on their farm just north of a small town named Doniphan. Our plans were to stay a few days with my in-laws before traveling south to Arkansas to visit my father in Cherokee Village, but as was the norm, our plans were thwarted by the desires of one of our kids who wished to stay the week with the in-laws. It was allowed (look, three kiddos are always easier to manage than four; don’t judge), and we packed up the minivan as we trekked south to God’s country. We arrived at my dad’s about two hours later and had just gotten the tons of stuff unloaded when my in-laws called. They did not let us know that they would be gone the entirety of the week, and my child really didn’t want to go with them. Oh, and they needed to leave in no less than two hours for more fun.

I will admit to being severely frustrated at the prospect of jumping back in the family’s Dodge Caravan and flying back up those crooked highways to grab my kiddo. Yet, off I go, and I MAAAAAAY have been breaking a few of the speed laws and mumbling some not-so-nice things while driving.

The path to my in-laws is a jumbled series of turns, two-lane stretches, and curves that requires driving on multiple highways, county roads, and gravel. I had made the trip a couple of times, but it was in no way ingrained into my psyche. I am speedily making my way through Raven’s Den, Arkansas, when out of nowhere, a semi-truck unceremoniously pulled out almost on top of me. I came to a complete stop and believe I shouted something to the effect, “God bless you, go ahead, and I will wait!” The driver of the semi waved kindly with some regional gesture of thanks, and I hurriedly carried on with my trip to the in-laws’ farm.

As I continued along, it seemed I had gotten off course. It had been just over an hour, and I was still not seeing my next turn. I kept going, thinking, surely, it’s just ahead. Now two hours have passed. Finally, I see something familiar, Highway 63. I was WAY off course. I called my in-laws to let them know that I would be about two hours late. I got to their house and packed up my child; all the while, my mother-in-law was thanking me for my promptness.

I again take off for my father’s house to join the rest of my family.

The trip is calm, and no laws are being broken as I meander through the varied pathways when I come to a stop sign that forms a “T” with another highway. It is then that I see the exact place the semi had stopped my earlier progress...right where I needed to turn.

Then I heard that Small Voice, “I tried to help you, but in your haste and anger, you missed what I was saying.”

I ask (as if He really needed me to add anything), “Did you use the truck in an attempt to keep me on course?”

And God, as is His norm with me, answers like I am a simple child, “you allow your emotions to dictate IF you hear and WHAT you hear.”

You must be thinking, “You are talking about missing a turn; why on earth would God care about things so small?” God placed a simple grove of trees in the middle of a garden and gave a basic command of “Do not touch.” God often uses the smallest of details to test our ability to hear Him. His voice is ever present to keep us from missing the mark. The question is, rarely is God speaking.

The question is, “Are you listening?”

Reflection

Are you truly taking the time to listen to the Father?