Can I Hear The Voice Of God

Who Can Hear The Voice Of God

This is what the Lord says:

“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Because of your sins you were sold; because of your transgressions your mother was sent away. 2 When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to deliver you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst. Is. 50:1-2

God loves the Nation of Israel. In spite of their continual rebellion He will never give up on them. However; when they engage in acts of rebellion He allows them to suffer the consequences of their sin. You can see in Isaiah that He allows them to be held captive by another nation and removes His presence from them. He tells them that they were sold into slavery because of their sin and He departed from them because of their transgressions.

When he came to restore Israel there was no one that could be found that could hear the voice of the Lord. When the Lord came to Israel there was no one that could speak for the people. They had fallen so far from God that they could not discern the voice of the Lord.

This is what sin does. It puts a divide in our relationship with the Father. When we depend on our own ways and opinions rather than the truth of the Word of God, we lose the ability to hear the voice of the Lord. When we lose the ability to hear the voice of the Lord, we also lose the fear of the Lord and His power.

He asks the nation of Israel if they thought He lacked the strength to deliver them. He reminds them that He has the power to dry up the sea and rivers so that people will die of thirst. Basically He is saying He has the power to wipe out an entire nation.

Though God has the power to cast judgement and would be just for doing so, He prefers mercy and grace. He desire to give everyone the chance to repent and be saved.

9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

Just as it was the prophets responsibility to hear and proclaim the voice of the Lord, it is the churches responsibility to hear and proclaim the voice of the Lord. This does not mean the pastor and staff, but all who call themselves followers of Christ.

The problem that we have here in America is that we are too easily satisfied. We are content with the things of the world and do not hunger for the things of God. Pleasure is what satisfies us. We must have hunger for the things of the Lord. The reason we don’t is because we have lost the ability to hear the voice of the Lord. Over the next several weeks we are going to learn how to hunger and discern the voice of the Lord.

Questions For Discussion.

1. What do you feel are the obstacles that we face from hearing the voice of the Lord?

2. What sins do we need to repent of in order to return to the Lord?

3. What steps does the church need to take to make sure a lost and dying world hears the voice of the Lord?

4. Do you hear the voice of the Lord often? If not, what do you need to do to change?

5. Why is it important that followers of Christ share the gospel?

6. What spiritual disciplines do you employ in your life that enable you to hear the voice of the Lord?

7. As we go through this study will you commit to being here to learn how to hear and proclaim the voice of the Lord?