Hearing His Voice

Published 3/5/20

Read Matthew 4:4

But he answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "

Reflect

In what ways do we hear Jesus through the Bible?

In order to hear Jesus and have a two-way connection with Him, we need to slow down and engage the Bible. This means receiving God's Word in our mind and our heart. It means savoring and reflecting on His story. It means responding to what He has to say to our own experiences--sometimes prompting us to change a behavior, conform to His will, or face some tough issues in our lives.

More than anything, for me, it means I have to really begin to believe that He loves and accepts me just as I am...that there is nothing I can do to make Him love me more than He already does. Once I got that, the joy of walking with Him became my strength and motivation for submitting to His life-changing Words. Our love relationship deepened because I didn't have to fear not measuring up with the possibility of being rejected by Him. His Word taught me to trust in His character with "no shadow of turning." I could change because I had the freedom to...a freedom that being loved by Him gave me. His Words set me free.

So, I began the sacred pursuit of Jesus through the Scriptures and through intimate times of personal worship in God's Presence...right in my bedroom or living room or kitchen! I set aside time to spend time with Him--receiving His Word and tuning my spiritual ears to hear His voice.

Jesus would come and speak softly to my heart. He would remind me of the day, show me my own heart, reveal myself to me and gently begin to heal and coax and teach--and love me into His Image.

Looking back now, it seems strange that even though I was like a young Bible scholar growing up, conforming to its law and obeying its rules, I still missed its essential Truth: that I am called to a dynamic, life-giving intimacy with Jesus. He speaks to me, He leads me into deeper Love and deeper Truth and deeper life through His love letters written just for me ... and you. It is only through relationship with Jesus that I can become intimately engaged with Him through His Word. And as I feed on His Word to me, I am changed.

Pray

Lord, I want to hear You clearly. I need Your guidance. Amen.