Transcript: Hearing God's Voice in Prayer and Bible Study

For most of us, when it comes to hearing the voice of God, We quickly think of Prophet Samuel when he was a young boy, just beginning to hear and distinguish God's voice for himself. Or we reflect on Prophet Elijah, whom we really know very little about in his personal background. But when Elijah heard the voice of God, the scriptures tell us he immediately obeyed him. So, you know, who is mere man? that the creator of the entire universe would stoop so low and condescend to and care to communicate with. Hearing the voice of God is a wonderful privilege. And I am always amazed when I ponder on the goodness of God and how he lowers himself and stoopes so low to speak to a rebellious and apostate people for their own good in order to bring them into right fellowship and deep fellowship with himself. God has many means and ways by which he speaks and communicates his heart, his will, and his mind to mere creatures of clay. Scripture says God has put it in the hearts of all men to know him first of all by virtue of his magnificent creation. For those who listen to God, his voice is being heard above them, below, and all around them. And of this there is no escape. In Psalms 19 verse 1, the word declares, The heavens declare the glory of the Lord, and the fervent shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. This is one way in which the Almighty Creator of all things speaks to all people. He is actually inviting men in every nation, every tribe and tongue to come to Him and commune with Him as their God and Father. He is inviting all to come to Him and to know Him as their loving Father who desires to lavish every good gift upon all who will hear His voice. there are so many people in this very age from every walk of life and profession regardless of whether they are an MIT graduate a graduate of a trade school a high school or higher learning of some kind or a common laborer who strolls through this life seeing the beauty of creation all around them and yet do not have one responding emotion to the giver of all things. They appear deaf to the countless notes by which God speaks and by which His power and wisdom and love is proclaimed to their hardened hearts in every possible way. God has been echoing through every generation of time saying, If you will hear my voice, do not harden your hearts when I speak to you. There has been such a great resistance made by man to the voice of God from the very beginning of time. The resistance commonly offered to God's gracious and generous divine call and appeal is one of the fool who says in his heart, There is no God. Or the reckless and irresponsible unbeliever who crows saying, Who is the Almighty? that I should worship and serve Him. And what good does it do for me if I should pray to this God that I do not know or I see? The major bulk and core of the resistance offered by unrepentant sinners is found in Hebrews 3.8 where the warning comes to not harden your heart. Chapter 3.8 of Hebrews. Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested me, tried me, and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation and said, They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways. So I swore in my wrath, they shall never enter my rest. Verse 12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if we hold firmly until the end the confidence we had at first. as has just been said. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion. Verse 16. Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed. So we see that they were not able to enter because of their unbelief. Well, these are the people who delayed and willfully avoided to act on the conviction of their consciences but held a deeply rooted love of sin in their hearts like that of the people in the wilderness who did nothing more than to provoke the Holy One of Israel to pronounce their judgment which was to never enter into their promised land. When people continually disobey what they believe to be the voice of God, they must always try to find some superficial excuse for their disobedience, or they must be most uncomfortable and awkward and troubled and unstable in their minds because they have been convicted by the Holy Spirit over and over and yet continually ignore his convicting power that their disobedience and rebellion is not okay. It is a terrible place to be when the hardened heart no longer feels or even notices the convictions of the Spirit of God any longer. The individual who is frequently busy at gathering appeals and apologies and excuses for the neglect of their obedience to God's work and conformity to it, soon becomes an expert in the work of self-justification by using presumption and compromise and every other excuse to avoid simple obedience to the commands of God. Having involved himself in a battle with his reason, his judgment and fondness with his carnal feelings means that he has gained the victory and consequently he believes he has the right to less responsibility than before to any obedience to God's laws and commands. And this is saying that his heart is almost untouchable to any means of conviction by the Holy Spirit. Oh, very dangerous. How dangerous. And this is what the scripture means when it says, Do not harden your heart. And this is done every day by those who refuse the good news of the gospel when it comes to them. And yes, even those who sit in church week after week and yet harden their hearts to the commands of God by not obeying His commands and precepts, but follow after their own reason and self-justification. Unfortunately, people deprive themselves of moving on in building a relationship, and beyond that, a deep and personal fellowship with God through His Holy Spirit, who speaks to them in so many and various ways, in order to bring them up to stand in the high place with Himself in this unique and divine communion which is afforded to those who truly love God. Dear ones, this is why God has created you. He desires to communicate with you. Hebrews 3 verse 15 declares, today if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion. This is a command of God to all peoples. The Holy Spirit says to each one of us today when you hear do not harden your hearts. It is a tragic mistake and the ruin of many both young and old that they believe and obey Satan rather than hear and obey God. The word to us all is today, not tomorrow. And since God uses his human agents to speak and teach these words, much depends in the way by which we regard and treat what they are saying. But you see, here in these words, these are the words of the Holy Spirit. and these are his words and remarks to the hearers of this word. It is important for us to pay attention and hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying. Just think of much importance is made and attached to what great or well-known people have to say. A man or woman's position give importance to what they have to say. The president or king, for instance, or a judge. But how much more important should be the word of the Holy Spirit when he speaks, whether it be in the way of warning, exhortation, encouragement, or a command? When he comes to you, you may be sure it is some important or urgent reason that he has come and speaks to your heart. In all actuality, all scripture is his word to us. But in this special sense and case, these words hold a distinctive and unique significance. When a king speaks, every voice is hushed and quieted out of respect and honor. And it should be so, dear ones, that when the Holy Spirit speaks, there may be the deepest interest and attention and reverence as to what he is saying. Revelation 2 verse 7 declares He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches Seven times in the book of Revelation as the Lord was speaking to the seven churches He spoke these words He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the church I believe it is important for us to heed that when the Spirit of God says something it is good and right for each one of us to sit up and take notice of what He is saying and not only that it is important for us to respond by being obedient to do what He is telling us to do. Sometimes even the words of the wisest and greatest well-known people are not to be trusted. Because even in the trust and best meaning, individuals make mistakes. But we are talking about one who when he speaks has never been deceived nor ever will be. The Holy Spirit is never confused, mistaken or wrong. Nothing he has ever said is untrue. He is known as the Spirit of Truth. And He is the living link and author of the words of God, which can never be broken. When the Holy Spirit speaks to you, He is kind. Even in His loudest warning to awaken you out of your stupor and lethargic, He is still kind. He is the Spirit of Love as well as the Spirit of Truth. With his gentle voice he speaks. He is loving and kind. He is not harsh or abrasive. I don't know if you have ever seen anyone in an anxious state about the condition of their souls. But one of the first things indicating this anxious state is that their happiness or joy is gone. many people want to sympathize with people in this state and condition and many even think that the Lord is too hard on people such as these but dear saint I want to tell you that this is the kindness of God coming to this individual this is his love when he awakens and alarms a soul that has been negligent or rebellious or unbelieving it is to warn that individual of the pending and coming danger that awaits them This alarm is to shake them up and lead them into a sudden reality that they need to get back up on the tried and true path and continue walking on the safe way. Can you not see the Holy Spirit as your loving friend and guide? We must see the word that he speaks saying today as an important and urgent word to us in our everyday journey with him. There should not be one part of scripture that we are negligent with. The word today is a little word and a short sentence, but it is a word with great impact and meaning in it. it may be said to be an immediate warning and also it may be said to be an invitation. It sets and proposes a time of repenting for us. Sin is rebellion against God and each new sin is another act of rebellion further still endangers the rebel's eternal salvation. The warning in the word do not harden your hearts, is a warning to know that the punishment of rebellion is sure to come, if not repented of and stopped. The sin must have an immediate arrest laid upon it. It must be forsaken. Please, let me make a statement here. There are many people who made the confession of salvation, and yet they do not obey God's word. If you do not obey and submit to God's righteous commands, and you consistently rebel against the authority of Scripture, you probably are not saved. Yes, you heard me right. You probably are not saved. Rebellion is evil. No matter if you are a young child, or young in the Lord, or you've been in the church a number of years, God is looking for your obedience, which is the fruit that proves your salvation. There is an analogy that gives a visual picture of the urgency of this sinful and willful state of rebellion in disobeying God's commands and precepts. The story is about a young boy of about 12 to 14 years of age who has begun to be serious about the condition of his soul. He knows that he is lost and would like to be saved. But at the same time, he would like to keep his sins and enjoy them too, at least for a little while more. This boy, while working with his father on a field wagon, injured his leg as the wagon fell on him and crushed and bruised his leg so badly that there was no choice but to have his leg amputated or taken off. But the young boy would not make up his mind to part with the damaged and irreparable leg. Day after day, he asked to have the operation delayed each day thinking that it would not be so difficult until the next. His whole experience would have proved to be easier at first, but the longer he delayed, the more difficult it became. And at last, the surgeon broke in and said in a kind and wise way, because of the state and seriousness of this condition, we cannot be reckless and foolish with this matter any longer. one day more meant that the boy could have lost his life, not just his leg. And this speaks to us saying, what is your spiritual salvation or eternal life worth to put off another day? The choice lies between your limb and your life. Which are you prepared to lose? Jesus in Mark 9.43 gives the analogy of a sinner. in Mark 9.43 when he says, If your hand puts a stumbling block before you and causes you to sin, cut it off. What is more profitable and wholesome for you to go into life that is really worthwhile maimed than with two hands and go to hell into the fire that cannot be put out? Verse 45. And if your foot is a cause of stumbling and sin to you, cut it off. It is more profitable and wholesome for you to enter into life that is really worthwhile, crippled than having two feet and to be cast into hell. Verse 47, And if your eye causes you to stumble in sin, pluck it out. It is more profitable and wholesome for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye rather than with two eyes and be thrown into hell. well jesus isn't saying to literally cut off our foot or hands or to pluck out an eye but he is saying when you are tempted you must starve or kill and mortify or crucify the detestable sin that drags you downward these sins are called idols and you and i are to overcome them and give no place nor make any provision for them any longer because they will bring us into final ruin. And this is called mortifying the flesh or dying to the flesh. And whatever needs to be done must be done at once. It must be a matter of now or never sort of thing. It must have the word urgency applied to it or connected to it. And even so, it must be with sin in your life. It is an evil habit, a forbidden indulgence, and it must go at once. It cannot be an excuse one day longer that says, I'll repent one day of these and maybe tomorrow. Then one day goes into the next until at last the Holy Spirit shatters through the darkness once more and says, Today, it must be today, you've lost too much time already. There must be no putting off those sins that easily keep you tethered to the earth and inhibit you from reaching the highest mark in Jesus Christ. What is your soul's salvation worth to you, dear one? You really have one choice if you desire to inherit the promised land. and Luke's gospel gives us the only way possible. In Luke 13, 3, he declares, Jesus declares, I tell you, no, but unless you repent and you change your mind for the better and heartily amend your ways with abhorrence of your past sins, you will likewise perish and be eternally lost. you see the Holy Spirit says today it is not too late yet it may be too late tomorrow but while you have breath today it is not too late to repent of your sinful ways and to make a firm resolve in your heart not to go back to those rebellious and sinful ways again you are not capable of improving yourself and neither am I thinking that you could fix your own problems your way is a hard heart at work that says, I'll do it my own way, thank you. Trying to improve yourself only makes matters worse because there is only one who can fix any problems and kinks in our personality quirks and sinful nature. The humble soul will see the need for getting help at once from the source and author of life. when the Holy Spirit says, Today, it is though He is saying, Now is the time for you to run to Jesus, wherever you may be, run to Him now. And when the Lord speaks, It is time to run to Him, dear ones. What a day and a time it is for those who have done this. When they have heard God's voice, they said, Lord, I take you at your word today, and to you I do run, O my God. To hear the voice of God when He speaks to your heart and convicts you and convinces you that your sinful and rebellious ways are wrong and to stop being idle in your pursuit of Him is a true day of salvation for you. Idleness of every kind is evil. In fact, it is unhealthy for the body, soul and spirit. This work and effort in coming to God and actually dying to yourself is not for your total benefit, dear ones. There is a future generation who needs to hear the words in Hebrews 4, verse 7, Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Just as these words are pronounced to you, they need to be spoken to others. We need to get out of the me, myself, and I mentality and be doing the work that God has for us to do. We need to keep our own souls in a healthy, a vigorous and lively upright state. You are never at a point in your Christian walk, no matter how young you are in the Lord, where you cannot be of encouragement or a help of some kind for others. It is pleasing and brings honor to God when he sees his children at work in these ways for him. Did you know that when this is genuine, it is one proof of your love to God? This is evidence of your active love for God, and it's shown while you live on this earth, not when you get to heaven sort of thing. these acts of love are to be demonstrated not only by seasoned Christians but also by those who are young in the Lord this is a now time for us all to be busy about the Lord's business many people think that they cannot demonstrate the Lord's goodness and kindness in acts of love for their fellow man or neighbor until they grow up in the Lord and I'm speaking even the young children in our midst today. We are all to be demonstrating Christian grace to those around us. These acts of God's goodness are shown in our caring concern for others, especially for the brotherhood of believers. Our kind deeds and words and giving as we are able in both our time and finances ought to be the hallmark of our Christian behavior and love as part of our involvement in our churches and congregations as we reach out to touch the world for Jesus. The Holy Spirit says, Today, not when you are older, but now while you have breath and you are able. The Lord asks us to do this kind of work now when He speaks to our heart, not to think we'll do this work when we get to heaven. It is finally important that we obey the voice of God and not put off responding to him one minute longer. At this point, you may be asking, will God and does God really speak to me? Well, I'm happy to tell you, yes, God will and does speak to his people. And when God speaks, he expects us to listen. He expects us to react to his voice. We talked at the beginning of this word how God speaks to all mankind through his visible creation. And God speaks to us generally at first through his providence. By virtue of his creation, he shows us his continual activity in sustaining the entire galaxy system by His almighty hand as He preserves and governs the entire universe. God speaks to us in this way and affirms His absolute lordship over His creation and confirms the dependence of all creation on His almighty care and providence. He makes it clear and plain to our hearts that his lordship over all the universe and that it is not governed by chance or fate. And then he makes it clear to our spirits that his presence and power is more than enough for us to be successful in having victory and overcoming every obstacle in our Christian journey as he protects us on the way. these too are the ways that God speaks to us without his continual care and activity in the world and in our lives the world would not exist and neither would we another way that God speaks to you and me is through his word and through other Christians God is always speaking to you through these means God was speaking to you through the first human voice that reached your infant mind especially those who had loving parents as a little child God spoke to you through the tender words of your mother and father when you were ill and you heard those soothing and kind words as your parents stroked your forehead or rubbed your back this too is a way that God speaks As was just previously mentioned God speaks to us through his word And his word is not like the words of men in a boring book that is dead and an unresponsive thing But only in God book of life will you hear the living voice of God God speaks to you by His Spirit. God created the ear so we could hear. Our ear is one of the main entrances or gateways of the soul. Remember, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The inner ear of the heart is made up of many wonders by which you will hear the noiseless voice of God. You have great authority and control and dominion over your own ears. You may defile your ears and soul by what you hear or you may edify, enrich and perfect the condition of your heart by what you incline your ear to hear. Isn't it interesting when you think about a musician and how attuned his ear is to the whole scale of musical notes and he has the ear to detect any instrument or voice that is off key and or out of timing. It is amazing how quickly the ear is sensitized to hear anything we really desire to hear. It is said that Indians were able to lay their ear to the ground, and by holding his breath, he could detect the approach of herds of buffalo in a far distance, or even the approach of someone riding a horse while they were miles away. They were such skilled hunters as well and could hear the movement of a deer or a rabbit while it was quite a distance from them. A mother will hear the slightest sound and movement of her little baby or a sick and suffering child and will be awakened to check on that child. It could really be said that a mother's love makes her heart into one listening, fine-tuned ear. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The ear of your soul has the ability to be trained to know even the slightest, quietest, and gentle whisper of God's voice as he speaks to your heart. And one of the greatest examples we have in the Bible, in an ear being fine-tuned to hear the voice of God, was a young boy by the name of Samuel. Samuel's mother, Hannah, was a young woman who could not bear children. She prayed to God through tears and weeping and made a promise to God that if he gave her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord's service. So at a very early age, when Samuel was weaned from his mother's breast, which in those days was between four and five years of age, he went to live with Eli, the priest, who taught the young boy the various duties of the priesthood. And it was here where Samuel learned to hear the voice of God, and then later God called Samuel to become a priest and a prophet in Israel. And it was after Eli's death that Samuel became the judge of Israel. Let us read in 1 Samuel 3, verse 1, about the account of where the young boy Samuel learns to hear the voice of God. 1 Samuel 3, verse 1. Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli, and the word of the Lord was rare in those days. There was no widespread revelation. and it came to pass at that time while Eli was lying down in his place and when his eyes had begun to grow dim that he could not see and before the lamp of the Lord went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was and while Samuel was lying down that the Lord called Samuel and he answered Here I am so he ran to Eli and said Here I am for you called me and he said I did not call lie down again. And he went and lay down. Verse 6 And then the Lord called yet again, Samuel. So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, Here I am, for you called me? And he answered, I did not call my son, lie down again. Verse 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and he said, Here I am, for you did call me. Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Verse 9, Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go lie down, and it shall be, if he calls you, that you must say, Speak, Lord, for your servant hears. So Samuel went and laid down in his place. Verse 10. Now the Lord came and stood and called at other times, Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel answered, Speak, for your servant hears. Then the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears will tingle. Verse 12. In that day I will perform against Eli all the things I have spoken concerning his house from beginning to end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile and he did not restrain them. And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever. Verse 15. So Samuel lay down until morning and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel and said, Samuel, my son. He answered, Here I am. And he said, What was the word that the Lord spoke to you? Do not hide it from me. God do so to you and more. also if you hide anything from me of all that he has said to you. Verse 18 Then Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him. So Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. Did you notice in verse 10, when the Lord called to Samuel, he had learned from his instructor to say, your servant hears. This term, your servant or thy servant, is a name that the young prophet had learned to call himself. When God spoke to him, he said, speak, Lord, for your servant hears. He who calls himself or herself a servant of God must truly desire to know the mind of God. In this preparation, the student must be prepared to hear and then promise to attend to the words of the Lord. In other words, whatever God commands or instructs, then you must set yourself to follow through with what he says. King David said in Psalms 85 verse 8 I will listen with expectancy to what God the Lord will say again let me repeat what David said I will listen with expectancy to what God the Lord will say in Habakkuk 2.1 the prophet not only waited to hear what the Lord spoke to him But he carried out the word of the Lord to the greatest detail. Habakkuk 2.1 Oh, I know. I have been rash to talk out plainly this way to God. I will in my thinking stand upon my post of observation and station myself on the tower or fortress and will watch to see what he will say within me. Hear that? Within me. What he will say within me. And what answer I will make as his mouthpiece to the perplexities of my complaint against him. And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes by may be able to read it easily and quickly as he hastens by. We're back to our example of the young boy Samuel. And something of great significance that I wish to point out to you today is that Samuel's obedience was prompt when the Lord spoke to him. He did not lie in bed shaking in fear and say, Oh, this is really frightening and it's terribly dark in here. I want my mama. He was prompt in obeying Eli's voice, which was really the voice of God. God will sometimes speak to us in voices that we are familiar with. And I am especially reminded of the time that our son said to his father a number of years ago, Dad, when I was younger and was going to do something that I knew you and Mom would disapprove of, I would hear your voice saying to me in warning, Aaron, do not do that. or Aaron, stay away from there or do not go in that direction. He said, Dad, your voice kept me out of trouble many times. But really, as I said, this is one of the ways that God will speak to our hearts and it is through a voice that is familiar to us. He will even speak to us in dreams through voices with whom we are familiar. We read in this account of young Samuel that his obedience was also wholehearted. He was single-minded with God as well as enthusiastic and zealous when God spoke to him. He put his whole heart into his servanthood. And we see this especially at first in hearing God's voice as he was listening under the tutelage of the older prophet and teacher, Eli. When Eli instructed him, he obeyed in prompt obedience every time. Dear ones, I make this next statement to you in hopes that it may startle you into a sudden reality and possibly awaken your slumbering heart. You cannot really obey God until you really love Him. That's right, neither can I. When you love God, you will obey him promptly. Samuel was a rare individual. His obedience to God was lifelong. And there are several things that we can glean from this account of Samuel, hearing God as a young boy. Just as Samuel, in order to distinguish the voice and message of God, We too must learn the essential or necessary factors in being privileged to hear God's voice. You must have this frame of mind. It is a privilege to hear the voice of the living God. Eli taught Samuel to go back and lay still and listen for God's voice. This meant that Samuel must have a focused mind and an undivided heart. and we too, precious ones, must have a mind that is disciplined to pay attention and be absorbed in one subject where there is little room for nothing else. Too many people have their minds filled with so many trivial things that weigh them down. Many cares and concerns of the world occupy their minds and the little foxes come to steal the silence or interrupt this restful and peaceful place with the Lord. And the fourth time God spoke to Samuel, it was somewhat different from the other times that he had called to him. The other three times God called Samuel by name and Samuel did not know it was God calling him, but thought instead it was Eli, his spiritual father. The fourth time God called the boy, he called out his name twice. Samuel knew in his spirit that this was God's voice. And we must see also that the scripture says in 1 Samuel 3.10, The Lord came and stood there calling as at the other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak, for your servant is listening. The word says that the Lord stood there before Samuel. We didn't read in the other three visits that he had made with Samuel that he appeared and stood before Samuel. We must know that there was a visible and tangible presence of the glory of God which was shown and enveloped the young prophet. The Lord appeared before Samuel in a vision. And this is what Samuel later reported to Eli. the Lord in the fourth time called out Samuel's name twice and this is saying the call was doubled as the Lord divided in the mention of Samuel's name or to intimate that he Samuel should now know who it was that was speaking to him and because Samuel had been obedient to follow Eli's commands to be still and to listen for God's voice The Lord showed himself either by his physical appearance or by his almighty and powerful presence and spoke the word of the Lord to Samuel God honored Samuel undivided heart and single focus and his absolute obedience. Can we see that? Listen to this. This child Samuel obeyed first his spiritual father Eli. Prophet Eli instructed the young boy in God's righteous ways and he was preparing him for the priesthood. The boy Samuel was obedient to follow unquestionably his teacher's instructions and the Lord saw this rare quality in this young boy as he quickly responded to do what his spiritual father had told him to do. And because of his obedience, not only in his early years, but also in his young boyhood, the Lord saw he was ready to do the work that he had prepared for him to do. Young people, can you see the importance that God puts upon being obedient to your parents? If you want to serve the Lord and live a life filled with joy and peace, then your obedience to your parents is the first place to start. If you as a believer are young in the Lord, the same factor ought to be working in your Christian behavior also. Samuel had a focused mind and an undivided heart when it came to obeying and submitting to God's righteous commands. Even if you are not young in the Lord, but have been in church for years, I challenge you by asking, are you presently in your life overcoming sinful passions, that is, lusts of the eye, lusts of the flesh, and pride of life? Have you overcome lying, free of slanderous remarks and accusations against others? Do you cheat on your taxes? Do you harbor jealousy, unforgiveness, and or hold hatred in your heart for another? Do you go to R-rated movies and fill your mind with filth and violence and sex and use the excuse that there was some good message for Christians in that movie, so therefore it is okay because everyone else is doing it? God says in Matthew 7 verse 13, Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. and there are many who go in by it. Because, in verse 14, because narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way which leads to life, that's speaking of eternal life, there are few who find it. And no doubt, you who are seasoned and living a spirit-filled life in Christ, you are developing a deep and intimate relationship, more called fellowship, with the lover of your soul, who is called Jesus Christ. In our hearing God's voice, multifaceted ways by which He speaks to us. Praise the Lord. This is what God is looking for in all of His children. And this will only happen when we walk in absolute obedience and submission to God's righteous commands, dear saints. And the second factor that we may glean and see here in this account with young Samuel in hearing God's voice is that Samuel was free and had no preconceived hang-ups with the way God would communicate with him. He demonstrated what God calls for each of us as his children to have, and that is a simple childlike faith. Samuel was unbiased. In our own selfishness and conceit and prejudices, We tend to want to do the speaking and talking and argue according to doctrinal differences whereby we prevent hearing from God and His truth in its fullness and entirety. Samuel obeyed his spiritual father's direction and instruction. Eli worked with the boy to make sure it was God's voice Samuel was hearing and not another voice. Once God made himself known to Samuel Both in by his presence and by the word of the Lord Eli knew this young student was really hearing God's voice Another factor in hearing the voice of God Is that Samuel had an earnest expectation He waited on the Lord He kept a joyful anticipation in his heart and waited patiently from one experience to the next. And this is good for us to keep in mind as we wait on God too. Many people get impatient with God and say, I never hear from God. He never speaks to me. You see, God isn't interested in people who want to take a fast track because he knows that he cannot trust them with his word nor his work. another major factor in hearing the voice of God is that we must have a humble heart Samuel's words to the Lord when he called Samuel's name were speak Lord for your servant hears this implies that we hear in order to do yes we hear in order to do if we are God's servants then we should have the heart to do what he has purposed before the foundation of time for each and every one of us. God will never give his counsel to the proud and haughty. We must have a servant's heart, and a servant's heart is a humble heart. The last point or factor in hearing from God is that we must maintain a personal and individual communion with him. It is lack of personal union with God that keeps people in the dark. God hides his light from our souls when we are not personally living in him and submitting to his ways. James chapter 4 verse 7 declares, Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Why would the Lord care to share his precious truth and treasures with someone who is half-hearted and lukewarm in their relationship with him? Well, it is simple. He doesn't, and he won't. It is just that way. Dear ones, there are many different ways that God speaks to us. besides these ways that we have talked about today. Most of the time, we will not hear the audible voice of God calling us like he did when he called Samuel and the other men, when he spoke to in Scripture, when he called them into service to work for him. It is not my purpose in this message today to talk about the many ways that God communicates himself to us. but we have talked about a few of the main ways that God speaks to our hearts and it is first through his word and by his spirit as the still small voice within. God will speak to us and communicate his heart, his mind, his will through his leadership, through his creation, through a parent, a friend and even through music and song. we have talked about training the ear to listen as we learn to be still and wait on our Lord learning to love the silence and the quiet moments are imperative to truly hearing God's voice and this is why David said in Psalm 63 verse 1 O God, you are my God early will I seek you hear that? early will I seek you My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory. David loved to spend time in the Lord's presence. It was in this place early in the morning, by the eyes of his spirit, that he saw his Lord's power and glory. God spoke to David in this place, dear one. This is why his soul thirsted for his God. It was like his thirst for God could not be quenched. The eyes of his spirit and his inner ear was attuned to the noiseless voice of God. Both you and I have this wonderful opportunity to know God in the same way, because God is not a respecter of persons. As we said earlier in the earlier part of this message today, you have great power over the ear of your spirit. You have power to ruin it or to enrich and enhance and perfect it. And again, this can only be done by your prompt obedience and humble submission to God's righteous commands through the power of His Holy Spirit. And the reason we must desire to hear God's voice is first, because it is by this way that we will truly walk in obedience to his righteous standards and precepts. And secondly, God has a plan for each and every one of us that was purposed before the foundation of time. In the book of Jeremiah 29, verse 11, God's word says to us, for I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you a hope in a future and then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you and you will seek me and find me and when you seek me with all of your heart I will be found by you declares the Lord this is a promise precious ones this is a promise How hungry are you for the Lord? How thirsty are you to know Him in this deep and intimate way? Do you long to see those who are perishing all around you, save from the wrath that is sure to come unless they come to Christ? Are you in a place to be of help to these unbelievers around you? What a sad thought it must be for many who have looked back and said, I might have done something for Jesus if I had only begun in time. These words have been echoed through every generation of time. Many, many, many regrets. Because people did not heed the voice of God when his words came to them saying, Beware brethren lest there be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another daily while today is called today lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin for we have become partakers of Christ if we hold if the word says if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end while it is said today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. Today is the day to hear what God is saying to you. For some, it is a day of repentance. For some of you, you have taken your salvation for granted and you have neglected your relationship with the Lord. This too calls for repentance because you have hardened your heart. For some of you, you have had fear about stepping out and allowing the Lord to use you to touch others in some way that is beneficial for the kingdom of God. This too calls for repentance because you have hardened your heart and unbelief is at work in your heart along with fear. The workers are few, but the harvest is plentiful. And the Spirit of the Lord says to each and every one of us, Today. Today is slipping by and will soon be over. And what is it that you must set right in your own heart in this day called today? God has been speaking to you through this word, and there is something for each and every one of us. For some, this may be the only today we will ever see. Will you hear God for yourself in this word? value and treasure today while it is called today, dear ones. Treat it and regard it as you do any other precious thing. Will you elect to incline your ear to hear what the Spirit of God is speaking to your heart? Or will you say to yourself, Oh, this has been a hard word, and it is really exaggerated and out of focus. Will you make the most of this day and make hay while the sun shines upon you? May I make a suggestion? Do not waste this day nor any other day that you are privileged to live in. Lay it out and plan it and be a good steward of God and incline your ear to hear what His Spirit is speaking to you. Today is the day to hear what God is saying to you. Thank you.