For Such a Time as This … Part 3

Do you know your God?  Do you know His Voice?

I believe that these are two of the most important questions that one needs to ask him/herself.  There is urgency in our days to truly know God, and to be able to distinguish His voice in the midst of so many other voices.  Considering the times in which we live, discerning His voice is key to understanding His will.

I think the story of Samuel as a young boy is a great example of knowing God’s voice:

”The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.  One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel.  Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.  Again the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD (emphasis mine): The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening. (emphasis mine)” 1 Sam 3:1-10

Because Samuel did not personally know His Lord, he thought that Eli was speaking to him. In order for one to be able to hear God, one must first know God, i.e. have a personal relationship with Him, and know His Word (Scripture). Nowadays, many people know how to say the right things, how to behave in the right way, sing the words of great worship songs, and even know how to pray in the right way. However, many of these have never had a personal revelation of God; they appear to know Him from the outside, but would not be able to distinguish Him from any other god.

There are many temptations around us; there are many gods that man has made for himself; there are many voices out there, and let’s be honest, quite often we choose to heed the one that “tickles our ears”. It’s the voice that makes us feel good versus the one from God that often asks us to do things that challenge us and make us uncomfortable.

So what are we to do?  Let me offer my conviction that the Body of Messiah needs to wake up and realize that if we say what we believe, if we say that we know the One and Only True God, if we truly hear His Voice, then we can turn this into obedience to His call for such a time as this.

So again I ask: Do you know your God? What voice are you paying attention to?

Shabbat Shalom,

Moran