Finding Joy When #TheStruggleIsRealSample

Day 5: Can We Talk? – Why We Need to Listen for God

Clear and accurate communication is challenging for all of us, whether in our families, in our own heads, or in the way we communicate with God. Because each of our Struggles is related to the disconnect between what we believe and how we act, between our understanding of the promises of God and our actual experience with Him, honest and trusted conversation with Him is essential. Without it, we will never overcome the chasm between who we are and who we were created to be.

Living into our rewritten stories requires hearing the one true Voice that can take us there. And we need specific direction—in those sticky situations at work, in the way we handle our emotions, in the fears that keep popping up in our souls like rabid prairie dogs. If it’s truly hard to communicate well with people we can see, no wonder it can feel hard with an all-powerful God we can’t see!

One of the troubling misperceptions among many Christians is that once we are adults, we should have our relationship with God all figured out. Most people aren’t sure how to hear from God. Many don’t read their Bibles regularly because they find it overwhelming and confusing. They really do want to seek God but aren’t exactly sure how Scripture is relevant to their busy and somewhat stressful lives. 

It is a tragedy to feel as if knowing or hearing from God is just another hard task on our list. If you’ve felt this way, know that you are not alone. The reason our lack of communication with God is problematic isn’t because we don’t have it all together or need to be better Christians. It’s tragic because hearing from God is our very source of life. He is the One who will guide us into our new stories, which center around who He created us to be and what He planned for us to do as His Kingdom comes.

Once you experience God as Deliverer, Refuge, and Savior for yourself, all the stories in Scripture become relevant. When you recognize and obey God’s voice, you can experience the love, care, power, freedom, and wisdom of your heavenly Father. When the source of all power is talking to you, everything else slides into proper perspective—from life to death, from joy to suffering, from the everyday mundane to the eternally sublime.

Conversation Starter: Some people struggle to hear God’s voice. Others hear his voice almost daily. Which camp do you fall into? Describe a time you felt God’s presence during a critical juncture in your life. How do you discern God’s leading from other influences? 

Getting Started: Take a moment to write down what you desire to hear from your heavenly Father. What might God speak to your heart that would allow you to lean into your new and free story?

Verses:

Isaiah 30:21

Jeremiah 33:3

Hebrews 4:12