“Before we moved here,” Stan commented one morning, “I became acquainted with a man in our church who had a big impact on my growing faith walk.”
“How so?” I asked.
“He was a person who seemed to be able to hear and be directed by God’s voice on a consistent basis,” Stan replied. “One day I asked him about that, if that had always been the case with him, and wondering if the same sort of thing might be possible for me.”
“What did he say?”
“He was very transparent,” Stan replied. “He said that for way too long in his faith walk he did not have the sense of being open to hearing God’s voice. It was like he was just going through the motions. He knew he was saved for eternal purposes and he wanted to hear God’s voice, but he was not doing what he needed to do in order for that to happen.”
“What is it he needed to do?” I asked.
“Be cleansed from all that was in the way,” Stan said. “He indicated that one day he had what he called an ‘Isaiah experience’.”
“Isaiah experience,” I repeated. “What’s that?”
“It’s the account of the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament,” Stan said. “About how he was able to hear the voice of God, but that it happened only after he had been cleansed of his sin. The man who told me this, said that what happened with Isaiah showed him that he had unconfessed sin that was in the way of being able to hear God’s voice.”
“What kind of sin?” I asked.
“He didn’t say and I didn’t ask,” Stan replied. “That was between him and God, but what he did say is that once he confessed his sin and truly repented, he began to hear God’s voice as to how God wanted him to live the life he had been given.”
“So,” I said, “unconfessed sin was in the way. Didn’t Jesus say something about the pure in heart being able to see God?”
“He did,” Stan replied, “And I think that ‘seeing’ God includes being able to hear Him!”
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Bible verses to consider:
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, with a burning coal in his hand which he had taken from the altar with tongs. And he touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who shall go for us?” Then I said, “here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:6-8.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you want me to see and to hear you so I will know you and what you have for me to be and to do. I admit that too often I cannot see and hear you because there is sin in my life that’s in the way. Please help me in following every step of your lead to bring to you all of my sin so I will confess, repent, be cleansed, and be able to see and to hear you just as you intend. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Do you think it’s possible to see and to hear God? Why or why not? Have you seen and heard God in the sense that you have the assurance of spending eternity in His presence when your time here is finished? If no, why? If you do have the assurance of salvation, how are you doing in seeing and hearing God on this side of eternity? As well as you would like? As well as God would like? If you sense there may be “things” in the way, how are those going to get out of the way? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 