Hearing God’s Voice Through Familiar Words
Photo by Jasmin Ne
When we become familiar with something, we don’t always pay attention to it. This happens a lot in relationships. Couples fall into a rut and gradually stop delighting in one another and in the little things they love about the other person.
The same thing can happen with God’s Word. When we come across a “familiar” verse, we sometimes have trouble delighting in it. “Oh, I’ve read it already. I know what it says.”
We need to be careful when it comes to “skipping over” the things of God. His Word thunders—sometimes loudly, sometimes quietly—with His power, His life and truth, His ways and how He works on the earth. With whatever verse we read, no matter how many times we’ve read it before, we are seeing the strength of God playing out. There is a mystery to be discovered and treasured.
This week, let’s take a few minutes to notice what the Holy Spirit might be saying through familiar passages of Scripture. You’ve read the following three verses before—maybe a lot—but the Word of God is living and moving and doing powerful things. More than anyone expects.
The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart. (Heb. 4:12 GNT)
Let’s do a little “experiment” and ask the Lord what He is saying to us through familiar words.
1. Who helps me when I’m in trouble?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth. (Ps. 121:2 NIV)
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what this verse means for you. Write down what He shows you because His words will be important for your heart. They always are—that’s how it works.
Remember, the Holy Spirit’s voice can be pretty quiet. It can sound like a thought or a “knowing” of some kind; it can also come as an impression or feeling. He might remind you of another verse in Scripture or of something that happened in your childhood. He speaks through mental pictures, external visions, books and movies and art and music—all these different things. Hearing Him takes practice, but over time we get better at recognizing His voice.
2. How does God feel about the world?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 NKJV)
John 3:16 is one of the most quoted verses in the world. Find a quiet place with your journal, ask God to speak to you, and then meditate on John 3:16.
What does it mean for you? What does it mean for the world? Does He still love the world—even the parts that ignore or reject Him? What is His heart like for the people around you? What is His heart like for you and your family? Listen for His voice, and write down what He says.
3. Should I be afraid of the future?
“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 NASB)
When we understand that God is good, we start to understand that His plans for us must also be good, because that is the only possible outcome. “If God is like this, then what He does for me must also be like this, because He is just Himself.”
Jeremiah 29:11 doesn’t promise that what we expect to happen will happen every time—but it does reveal God’s heart toward us and what He’s doing in our life. Many, many children of God live in quiet fear every day because they don’t realize who He really is, how He works, and that the plans He has for them are good.
Meditate on Jeremiah 29:11 and ask God to show you His heart. This is a great verse if you struggle with fear.
May you be greatly blessed this week, child of God. He’s with you and loves you and has good plans for you already in the works.
Does your heart need to remember who God is? Check out these other devotions:
For more information on sex, marriage, and finding the person who is right for you, get a copy of Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.