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This Week’s Devotional Topic
347 – THE VOICE OF GOD
At exactly 3:47 in the morning, a crack of thunder woke me from a deep sleep. That booming sound shook the entire house. Three forty-seven…I don’t expect to ever forget that moment in time. Although it shocked me and was incredibly loud, it didn’t scare me. I was more awestruck and incredibly impressed. I wasn’t afraid at all. As I lay there in bed pondering the reality of what just happened, my first thought was that it was what I would expect that the voice of God would be like, impressive, majestic, and awesome!
Many years ago, we were expecting our fifth child. We had been able to select names for the others well before they were born but this pregnancy was different. We had kicked around a short list and prayed fervently but God didn’t give us peace about any one of them. Then came that moment when our little boy was born. I followed the nurse as she carried him over to the warmer. As I stood there, looking at this precious little one, I heard a still small voice whisper in my ear as clearly as if there was someone standing right next to me. It said “…little David…” I immediately recognized is from a line in the song “…little David play on your harp, hallelu hallelu little David play on your harp hallelu”. I was the only one in the room that heard it but that was clearly the voice of God declaring the name for our son – DAVID.
What do you think the voice of God is like? As the omnipotent, all knowing God, I imagine that it would sound however He wants it to in order to communicate effectively to us. Here are a few examples from scripture:
Exodus 19:16-19 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.
We see God speak as we read the first chapter of Genesis. Here are portions of that chapter.
Genesis 1:1-31 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
Deuteronomy 4:3 Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
Ezekiel 10:4,5 And the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD. And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
Exodus 6:2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD.
It is vital that we listen to the voice of God.
Exodus 15:26 [the LORD spoke to the children of Israel] saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”
When we hear the word of God, pay attention and take it to heart.
James 1:22-24 “…don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
This week’s Scripture:
Genesis 1:1-31; Exodus 19:16-19; Deuteronomy 4:3; Ezekiel 10:4,5; Exodus 6:2; 15:26 and James 1:22-24
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